UC-NRLF 


27E    DTD 


Practical  Track  Maintenance 

(Volume  II,  Track  Series) 


By  Kenneth  L.   Van  Auken 

(Author  of  PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK) 


Railway  Educational  Press,  Inc. 

Fourteen    East    Jackson  Boulevard 
Chicago         :          :         :          :          :         Illinois 


Copyright  1916 

Railway  Educational  Press,  Inc. 
Chicago  :  :  :  Illinois 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  BIG   PROBLEM — LABOR 13 

Interpreters — Trackmen  Skilled  Laborers — Obtaining  Labor- 
ers— Company  Labor  Bureau — Present  Methods  of  Obtain- 
ing Laborers — Holding  Laborers — Year  Around  Work — 
Sanitary  Housing — Assuring  Laborers  Good  Food — Fore- 
man's Treatment  of  Men — The  Possibility  of  Promotion — 
Instruction  in  Track  Work — Transportation — Pensions — 
Motor  Cars — Labor-Saving  Tools — Graded  Rates  of  Wages 
— Opportunities  for  Track  Laborers. 

CHAPTER  II 

DEVELOPING    TRACK    FOREMEN 36 

Necessary  Versus  Desirable  Work — Need  for  More  Care- 
ful Maintenance — Why  Men  are  Not  Available — Develop- 
ing Men  for  Foremen — The  Foreman's  Title — Foremen's 
Houses — Discipline — Definite  Possibility  of  Promotion — 
Instruction — Grading  Section  and  Yard  Jobs — Periodical 
Meetings — Personal .  Contact  with  Foremen  and  Men — 
Transportation — Motor  Cars — Tools — Miscellaneous — Pres- 
ent Practice  on  the  Boston  &  Albany — On  the  New  York 
Central — On  the  Rock  Island — On  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio. 

CHAPTER  III 

How  TO   HANDLE  LABORERS 56 

The  Hobo  Laborer — The  Italian  Laborer — Pole  and  Slav 
Laborers — the  Austrian  Laborer — the  Macedonian  Laborer 
— The  Bulgarian  Laborer — The  Negro  Laborer — The  Mexi- 
can Laborer — The  Hindoo  Laborer — The  Japanese  Laborer 
— Conclusions. 

CHAPTER  IV 

RENEWING    TIES 72 

Barking  Ties — Adzing  and  Boring  Ties — Sawed  Ties — Re- 
newing Ties  to  Face — The  Correct  Distribution  of  Ties — 
Inspecting  Ties  for  Renewals — Inspection  -in  Detail — Mark- 
ing— Inspection  After  Ties  are  Removed — Where  to  Start 
Renewals — Tight  Track — Uniform  Sized  Ties — Methods  of 
Renewing  Ties — Renewing  in  Gravel — Renewing  Ties  in 
Dirt  Track — Renewing  Ties  in  Stone — Costs  of  Renewing 
Ties — Disposal  of  Ties. 


342159 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

CHAPTER  V 

RELAYING    RAIL 88 

Relaying  in  Winter — Distributing  Track  Material  Accur- 
ately— Unloading  Rails — Rail  Derrick — Locomotive  Cranes 
— Unloading  Rails  from  Flat  Cars — V-Frames — Placing 
Rails — Distributing  Ties — Distributing  Angle  Bars — Dis- 
tributing Track  Bolts — Distributing  Nut  Locks — Distribut- 
ing Spikes — Simultaneous  Distribution — Operations  in  Re- 
laying— General  Methods  of  Relaying — Modifications  of 
Methods  1  and  2 — Preliminary  Work — Pulling  Spikes — 
Method  2-A — Expansion — Spiking — Whipping  Spikes — Gag- 
ing— Supervision — Tool  Man — Flagging — Temporary  Con- 
nection— Jointing  Up — Rail  Anchors — Size  of  Gang — 
Method  2-B— Method  1-A— Method  1-B— Method  3— Mad- 
den Rail  Handling  Machine — Haddix  Rail  Handling  Ma- 
chine— Laying  Rails  with  Cranes — Cutting  Rails — Curving 
Rails — Curving  with  Sledges — Rail  Benders — Widening 
Gage. 

CHAPTER  VI 

BALLASTING   AND    SURFACING 119 

Preparation  of  Sub-Grade  for  New  Track — Direction  to 
Carry  on  Work — Preparation  of  Old  Grade  for  Reballast- 
ing — Excess  Depth  of  Ballast— Type  of  Ballast  Cars — 
Sags — Unloading  Ballast — Ballast  Handling  Equipment- 
Surfacing — Organization  of  Surfacing  Gang — Spot  Board 
Man — Jack  Hole  Diggers — Jack  Men — Jack  Tampers — 
Men  Filling  for  Jacks — Level  Board  Man — Hammer  Man 
— Men  Filling  Ends — Organization  of  Tampers — Tamping 
Tools — The  Track  Raiser — Foreman  and  Assistant  Fore- 
man— Tamping  Centers — Lining  Track — Records — Time  to 
do  Surfacing — Height  of  Raise — General  Notes — Clough's 
Methods  of  Stone  Ballasting — Another  Method  of  Stone 
Ballasting— Tools.  . 

CHAPTER  VII 

REPORTS    AND   ACCOUNTS 143 

General — Getting  Assistance — Kinds  of  Reports — Advan- 
tages and  Disadvantages — Recent  Changes — Methods  Now 
in  Common  Use — Present  Practice — Monthly  Reports — 
Semi-Monthly  Time  and  Monthly  Distribution — Semi- 
Monthly  on  Both  Time  and  Distribution — Weekly  Time, 
and  Monthly  Distribution — Daily  Time  and  Monthly  Dis- 
tribution— Semi-Monthly  Time  and  Weekly  Distribution — 
Weekly  Time  and  Daily  Distribution — Daily  Time  and  Dis- 
tribution Reports — Conclusion. 


TABLE     OF     CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VIII 

SPRING   WORK '. 164 

General — Routine  Track  Work — Checking  up  Tools — Extra 
Gang  Foremen — Extra  Gang  Supplies — Distributing  Track 
Ties — Distributing  Rails — Keeping  Switches  Open — Clean- 
ing Waterways — Switches — Guard  Rails  and  Frogs — Re- 
placing Rails — Shimming — Replacing  Crossing  Plants  and 
Cattle  Guards — General  Cleaning  Up — Scrap — Anti-Creep- 
ers— Rock  Cuts — Spikes  and  Bolts — Soft  Spots — Surfacing 
and  Lining — Putting  in  Ties — Highway  Crossings — Patch- 
ing Up  Fence — Sign  Posts — Expansion — Washouts,  Slides 
and  Water  Pockets — Conclusions. 

CHAPTER  IX 

SUMMER   WORK 175 

General — Skirmishing — Renewing  Switch  Ties — Methods  of 
Renewing  Switch  Ties — Digging  Fire  Guards — General 
Cleaning  Up — General  Surfacing — Lining — Gaging — Dress- 
ing Up — Weeding — Strengthening  Embankment — Respacing 
Joint  Ties — Mowing  Right  of  Way — Cutting  Track  Weeds — 
Burning  the  Right  of  Way — Chemicals  and  Weed  Burners — 
Interlocking  and  Switch  Repairs — Railway  Grade  Crossings 
— Highway  Crossings — Fences — Conclusions. 

CHAPTER  X 
FALL  WORK _ 1S6 

Surfacing — Low  Places — Weeding — Repairing  Road  Cross- 
ings and  Approaches — Flanger  Signs — Ditching — Soft  Spots 
— Drain  Pipes,  Culverts,  Etc. — Expansion — Regaging — Re- 
pairing Frogs  and  Switches — Snow  Holes— Side  Track 
Repairs  and  Renewals — Surfacing  and  Lining — Estimates — 
Portable  Snow  Fences — Winter  Tools  and  Materials — Rail 
Anchors — Emergency  Rails — Repairing  Fences — Piling  Up 
Material — Rip  Rap — Conclusions. 

CHAPTER  XI 
WINTER    WORK _ 195 

General — Inspection — Expansion  and  Broken  Rails  or  Fas- 
tenings— Canted  Rails — Wide  Gage — Drainage — Inspection 
After  a  Storm — Snow  Fences — Snow  or  Ice  Around  Build- 
ings— Clearing  the  Main  Line — Preparing  for  Flangers — 
Switches — Shimming— Snow  in  Yards — Ditching — Renew- 
ing Bolts  and  Spikes — Gaging — Distributing  Ties  and  Rails 
— Barking  Ties  and  Adzing  Rail  Seats — Straightening 
Canted  Rails — Cinders — Repairing  and  Renewing  Right- 
of-Way  Fences — Trimming  Hedge  and  Cleaning  Up  Rub- 
bish— Ice  Around  Water  Tanks — Bucking  Snow — Conclu- 
sions. 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 


CHAPTER  XII 

TRACK  WORK  IN  THE  TROPICS fc 211 

General — January  Work — February  Work — March  Work — 
April  and  May  Work — June  Work — July  and  August  Work 
— September,  October  and  November  Work — December 
Work. 

CHAPTER  XIII 

YARD    MAINTENANCE 215 

Standard  of  Maintenance — Dividing  the  Gang — Ladder 
Tracks — Overhauling  a  Yard — Spring  Work — Tie  Renew- 
als—Summer Work— Fall  Work— Winter  Work— Conclu- 
sions. 

CHAPTER  XIV 

RAPID  IMPROVEMENT  OF  A   SECTION 229 

The  New  Foreman  on  a  Section — Skirmishing — First  In- 
spection— Laying  Out  the  Work — Organization  and  Distri- 
bution of  Laborers — Spiking  and  Gaging — Curves  and  Bridge 
Approaches— Highway  Crossings— Scanty  Ballast— Churn- 
ing Joints — Bad  Ties — Summary. 

CHAPTER  XV 

TRACK  MATERIALS,  TOOLS  AND  APPLIANCES 236 

Good  Tools — Care  of  Tools — Neatness  in  Tool  Houses — 
Ordering  Tools — Full  Use  of  Materials — Keeping  Tools  in 
Repair— Tool  Boxes— Loss  of  Tools— Outfit  of  Tools— Hand 
Car?— Wheels  Binding — Front  and  Rear — Grinding — Oil- 
ing— Motor  Cars — Operators — Instructions — Care  in  Opera- 
tion— Keeping  Cars  Clean — Inspection — Filling  the  Tank — 
Spark  Plugs— Dry  Cells— Use  for  Recreation— Details  of 
Motor  Car  Operation — Starting  Motor  Cars  in  Cold 
Weather — Causes  of  Trouble  with  Motor  Cars. 
APPENDIX 

LABOR  SAVING  TOOLS  AND  APPLIANCES 255 

Marion  Steam  Ditcher — Abernathy  Cattle  Guard — Imperial 
Tie  Tamper — Barrett  Track  Jack — Tranco  Duplex  Tie 
Tongs — Marion  Steam  Shovel — Fairmont  Hand  Car  En- 
gines and  Motor  Cars— Ramapo  Automatic  Safety  Switch 
Stands — Fairmont  Motor  Car  Discing  Machine — Fairmont 
Motor  Car  Mowing  Machine. 

TABLES  287 

Temperature  Expansion  for  Laying  Rails — Middle  Ordinates 
in  Inches  for  Curving  Rails — Widening  Gage  on  Curves — 
Sets  of  ^  Switch  Ties  for  Various  Turnouts— Spacing  of 
Cross  Ties  (Square  Joints) — Number  of  Joints,  Angle  Bars 
and  Ties  Per  Mile  of  Single-Track— Ordinates  for  Lining 
Switch  Leads— Number  of  Ties  Per  Mile  Expressed  in 
Number  Per  100  Feet— Elevation  of  Outer  Rail  in  Inches- 
Spacing  of  Cross  Ties  (Broken  Joints) — Dimension?  of 
Rails— Cubic  Yards  of  Ballast  Required  for  Various  Depths 
Below  Top  of  Tie— Requirements  for  One  Mile  of  Track- 
Amount  in  Gross  Tons  of  Rails  for  One  Mile  of  Track. 


FOREWORD. 

The  author  realizes  that  track  maintenance,  in  all  its 
phases,  is  an  immense  subject;  and  the  problem  of  writ- 
ing a  book  with  this  title  proved  to  be  a-  pruning  and  re- 
fining process — the  exercise  of  judgment  as  to  what  might 
be  left  out,  rather  than  what  might  be  put  in.  The  in- 
formation which  was  considered  absolutely  essential  was 
that  which  the  trackman  can  use  in  his  every  day  work. 

The  author  originally  had  in  mind,  and  the  finished 
book  is  now  intended  mainly  as,  a  treatment  of  routine 
section  work  only;  an  outline  was  worked  up  which  was 
submitted  to  a  number  of  trackmen  of  wide  practical  ex- 
perience, who  are  also  writers,  and  who  have  contributed 
much  of  value  from  their  own  experience  for  the  ben- 
efit of  trackmen.  The  suggestions  received  from  these 
practical  track  men  resulted  in  a  partial  rearrangement 
and  amplification  of  the  chapter  subjects.  The  manu- 
script was  then  written  and  submitted  for  detailed 
criticisms  and  suggestions,  to  the  following  men: 
Charles  L.  Van  Auken;  F.  R.  Layng,  engineer  of 
track,  Bessemer  &  Lake  Erie  R.  R. ;  S.  J.  Evans, 
general  foreman,  Central  California  Traction  Co. ;  J.  J. 
Hess,  assistant  engineer  maintenance  of  way,  Great 
Northern  Ry. ;  J.  W.  Powers,  supervisor  of  track,  New 
York  Central  R.  R.,  and  D.  O'Hern,  supervisor,  Elgin, 
Joliet  &  Eastern  R.  R. 

The  author  does  not  claim  complete  originality  for  all 
the  material  in  the  book — rather  he  disclaims  it.  He  does 
claim,  however,  to  have  combined  the  results  of  his  own 
experience  with  a  digest  of  the  opinions  of  trackmen,  and 

9 


to  have  formulated  the  conclusions  and  suggestions  given. 
The  meh, mentioned  above  are  located  in  various  parts  of 
the  country, — north,  east,  south  and  west — and  it  is 
thought,  therefore,  that  the  general  conditions  over  the 
entire  country  have  been  covered.  The  author  hopes  that 
in  accepting  the  suggestions  which  have  been  offered  him, 
that  the  book  has  been  broadened  far  beyond  one  man's 
viewpoint. 

Information  has  been  used  freely  from  articles  pub- 
lished in  the  proceedings  and  bulletins  of  both  the  Road- 
masters'  and  Maintenance  of  Way  Association  and  the 
American  Railway  Engineering  Association.  The  files 
of  the  Railway  Age  Gazette  and  the  Railway  Review  also 
have  been  freely  consulted,  and  the  information  obtained 
proved  of  much  benefit  in  the  preparation  of  the  manu- 
script. Parts  of  the  completed  book  have  appeared  in 
each  of  the  above  publications  as  contributed  articles 
under  the  author's  name,  in  which  case  no  direct  credit 
has  been  given  herein,  the  matter  simply  having  been 
published  by  these  papers  preliminary  to  its  appearing  in 
book  form.  Wherever  information  has  been  taken  ver- 
batim from  any  paper,  which  was  not  originally  pub- 
lished under  the  author's  name,  credit  has  been  given  in 
the  text. 

The  author  will  be  pleased  to  receive  suggestions  or 
criticisms  from  any  trackmen  who  read  the  book,  as 
revisions  are  to  be  made  from  time  to  time. 

K.  L.  V. 

April  First 
Nineteen  Sixteen 
at  Chicago 


10 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE  BIG  PROBLEM— LABOR. 

The  ultimate  object  of  maintenance  is  to  provide 
track  over  which  traffic  may  be  handled  safely,  expedi- 
tiously  and  economically.  Two. ingredients  go  into  track 
maintenance — material  and  labor.  The  necessity  for 
having  the  best  materials  is  not  to  be  minimized  and 
the  track  and  purchasing  departments  should  co-operate 
with  this  end  in  view.  The  financial  condition  of  the 
road  must  of  course  be  taken  into  account  when  buying 
materials,  including  tools,  but  it  will  always  be  found 
profitable  to  keep  service  records  and  to  consider  the 
ultimate  cost  rather  than  the  first  cost.  The  practice  of 
allowing  the  purchasing  agent  to  buy  tools  wholly  on 
price  should  be  discouraged  and  the  track  foreman 
should  be  consulted  as  to  the  most  economical  makes  to 
use. 

One  foreman  reports  that  with  a  good  claw  bar,  one 
man  alone  will  pull  twice  as  many  spikes  as  two  men 
with  a  poor  claw  bar  and  hammer.  The  first  cost  of 
the  good  claw  bar  is  only  $2.00  per  dozen  more  than  the 
other  and  four  times  as  much  work  is  obtained  per  man 
with  it.  This  results  in  a  saving  in  10  hours  constant 
use  of  $5.25  (labor  at  $1.75)  since  it  would  require  four 
men  to  do  as  much  work;  and  the  investment  in  tools 
is  greater  with  the  poor  claw  bar  because  two  tools 
must  be  provided  to  obtain  the  same  capacity.  It  is  a 
notable  fact  that  the  average  laborer  is  far  more  care- 
ful of  a  good  tool  than  of  a  poor  one.  It  seems  ad- 

13 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

visable,  therefore,  to  economize  rather  in  the  number 
of  tools  purchased  than  to  sacrifice  quality. 

The  increase  in  wages  which  would  be  necessary  to 
obtain  a  higher  grade  of  labor  in  track  work  is  evidently 
thought  out  of  proportion  to  the  benefits  to  be  derived. 
This  is  partly  because  it  is  impossible  to  perform  perma- 
nent repair  work  advantageously  during  the  entire  year. 
Furthermore,  the  enforced  demands  of  employes  of 
other  departments  have  cut  into  revenue  so  deeply  that 
railways  claim  they  have  been  unable  to  raise  the  wages 
of  track  laborers  materially. 

In  any  field  of  labor  the  ability  to  secure  workmen  is 
dependent  upon  many  circumstances,  among  which  are 
conditions  of  work,  pay  for  labor  performed,  and  the 
possibility  of  promotion — or  at  least  the  prospects  of 
making  more  than  a  bare  livelihood.  Other  influences 
are  the  conditions  of  the  labor  market,  both  general  and 
local,  the  cost  of  living  and  the  tendencies  of  the  com- 
munity. 

In  the  last  15  years  the  average  rate  paid  trackmen 
has  increased  hardly  more  than  15  cents  per  day,  during 
which  time  wages  of  labor  in  other  industries  has  in- 
creased probably  an  average  of  $1.00  per  day. 

Trackmen  generally  feel  that  wages  are  too  low.  One 
supervisor  predicts  that  a  25  per  cent  increase  in  wages 
would  give  a  100  per  cent  increase  in  the  amount  of 
work  turned  out.  Other  railway  labor  has  received  an 
advance  aggregating  close  to  50  per  cent,  while  the  track- 
men's increase  is  only  about  8  1/3  per  cent.  This  has 
resulted  in  track  gangs  becoming  training  schools  for 
other  industries  and  particularly  for  contractors. 

It  is  a  fact  to  be  deplored  that  railways  in  general 

14 


THE     BIG     PROBLEM— LABOR 

could  not  or  would  not  voluntarily  increase  the  wages 
of  track  labor  when  the  wages  of  other  classes  of  em- 
ployes were  raised.  This  policy  could  have  been  made 
a  strong  argument  in  arbitrations  for  scaling  down  the 
demands  of  the  other  employes. 

Since  the  demand  exceeded  the  supply  of  native  labor- 
ers, many  foreigners  have  emigrated  to  this  country  and 
the  large  percentage  of  trackmen  are  composed  of  these 
immigrants.  The  Roadmasters'  &  Maintenance  of  Way 
Association  in  a  report  submitted  in  1912  said,  "It  is 
a  grim  fact  that  track  labor  has  very  materially  deterio- 
rated and  that  the  cost  of  maintenance  has  gone  up, 
while  the  efficiency  has  decreased.  Men  of  a  class  such 
as  formerly  followed  track  work  are  no  longer  to  be  had. 
It  is  plainly  evident  therefore  that  we  must  depend  almost 
entirely  upon  the  foreigner  for  our  source  of  labor  supply 
for  the  present  as  well  as  for  the  future."  This  is  true 
unless  the  wages  of  laborers  are  very  materially  in- 
creased ;  and  even  if  they  are  increased,  probably  the 
majority  of  trackmen  would  still  be  foreigners,  but  they 
would  be  of  a  higher  class,  both  physically  and  intel- 
lectually. Where  contractors  are  paying  75  cents  a  day 
more  for  laborers,  they  have  to  turn  applicants  away, 
while  railway  section  and  extra  gangs  in  the  same  vicinity 
are  constantly  short  of  men.  Since  railways  must  depend 
to  a  large  extent  on  foreigners  for  trackmen,  they  should 
take  steps  to  obtain  the  maximum  results  from  this  class. 
Many  of  them  are  intelligent  and  willing,  and  capable  of 
making  good  trackmen,  provided  they  can  be  interested 
in  the  work.  To  interest  them  it  is  necessary  to  educate 
them,  or  at  least  to  furnish  instruction  in  track  work  as 
well  as  to  hold  out  the  possibility  of  promotion  as  a  re- 
ward for  intelligent  industry. 

15 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

S.  J.  Evans,  an  extra  gang  and  general  track  foreman 
of  wide  experience,  states  that  he  has  developed  many 
foreign  foremen  by  putting  those  interested  through  a 
course  of  instruction  in  surfacing  and  lining,  teaching 
them  to  read  switch  plans,  etc.  In  other  words,  he 
treats  his  laborers  as  students  in  track  work  and  thereby 
not  only  obtains  more  satisfactory  work  from  them,  but 
develops  many  of  them  into  good  foremen. 

Interpreters — Trackmen  generally  know  that  the 
interpreter,  in  practically  every  case,  is  a  positive  hin- 
drance rather  than  a  help.  While  he  makes  profuse 
promises  to  obtain  the  best  men  and  guarantees  a  fair 
day's  work  from  them,  he  seldom  keeps  these  promises. 
Since  the  commercial  labor  agency  is  frequently  forced 
to  hire  interpreters  in  order  to  get  the  men  to  send  out, 
many  railways  have  come  to  consider  the  interpreter  a 
necessary  evil.  By  united  action,  however,  it  ought  to 
be  possible  to  eliminate  the  interpreter,  and  this  would 
without  question,  result  in  an  immediate  increase  in  the 
efficiency  of  gangs  of  foreigners. 

There  is  no  objection  to  making  a  conscientious  and 
ambitious  foreigner,  even  an  interpreter,  an  assistant 
foreman,  especially  if  he  is  given  to  understand  that  in- 
creased ability  will  result  either  in  increased  pay  or  in 
preference  when  permanent  positions  are  to  be  filled. 
As  a  representative  of  the  company  rather  than  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  men,  the  interpreter  is  not  likely  to  re- 
tain his  old  hold  on  them. 

Trackmen  Skilled  Laborers — It  is  quite  common 
for  employes  of  other  departments  to  deride  the  sec- 
tion forces.  This  is  particularly  true  of  the  trainmen  and 
is  a  much  greater  detriment  to  the  discipline  of  track 

16 


THE     BIG     PROBLEM— LABOR 

forces  than  is  generally  realized.  When  using  a  work 
train,  positive  instructions  should  be  issued  to  the  con- 
ductor to  report  to  the  foreman,  as  only  by  this  method 
can  the  foreman  command  the  respect  of  the  train  crew. 
In  this  way  the  trainmen  can  be  prevented  from  interfer- 
ing or  joshing  with  the  men.  Expert  trackmen  are  skilled 
laborers  and  should  be  treated  as  such. 

Some  words  on  the  status  of  the  laborer  by  Thomas 
Cain,  a  foreman  of  the  Michigan  Central  division  of 
the  New  York  Central,  are  especially  apt  in  this  con- 
nection. He  says :  "The  principal  element  which  gives 
to  labor  its  dignity  and  ennobling  quality  is  its  volun- 
tary character.  The  greater  and  more  complete  the  in- 
dependence of  the  worker,  the  greater  the  pleasure  in  his 
work  and  the  more  he  will  accomplish.  Independence 
alone  is  one  of  the  greatest  incentives  to  offer  laborers 
in  order  to  get  track  work  done.  Give  the  laborer  to 
understand  that  for  his  ability  and  earnest  endeavors, 
he  will  be  treated  as  an  American  citizen,  and  that  no 
labor,  no  matter  of  what  condition  so  long  as  it  is  hon- 
est, is  degrading." 

Obtaining  Laborers — On  many  roads  the  section 
foreman  hires  all  his  men,  and  this  is  an  excellent  policy 
to  follow  wherever  practicable.  The  best  results  can  be 
obtained  from  local  laborers  and  the  authority  of  the 
foreman  is  better  if  he  is  allowed  to  hire  his  own  men. 
Trouble  is  frequently  experienced  with  foreigners  hired 
by  the  roadmaster  or  by  a  commercial  labor  agency. 
Even  if  hired  through  a  company  labor  bureau  there 
may  be  trouble  with  these  men  unless  the  officers  of  the 
bureau  are  conscientious  and  working  for  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  company.  It  is  not  always  possible,  how- 
ever, to  obtain  a  sufficient  number  of  section  men  locally, 

17  • 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

and   it   then   becomes   necessary   to   hire    foreigners    or 
hobos  to  fill  out  the  gangs. 

In  general,  laborers  hired  through  private  labor 
agencies  prove  unsatisfactory.  If  necessary  to  hire 
men  in  this  manner,  every  shipment  should  be  inspected 
by  a  competent  representative  of  the  track  department 
before  being  accepted.  Instances  have  been  known 
where  officers  specified  that  all  laborers  must  be  hired 
through  one  particular  commercial  labor  agency.  This 
arrangement,  which  smacks  of  collusion  between  the  labor 
agency  and  the  officers,  often  results  in  the  poorest  class 
of  men  being  furnished.  Forbidding  a  foreman  or  road- 
master  to  hire  local  men,  or  even  to  hire  gangs  for  ship- 
ment from  any  agency  where  a  good  gang  can  be  se- 
cured, is  a  detriment  to  the  discipline  of  the  road,  a 
detriment  to  the  amount  of  work  accomplished,  and,  in 
the  end,  a  detriment  to  the  proper  maintenance  of  track. 
The  exclusive  labor  agency  eliminates  labor  competi- 
tion, making  it  possible  to  charge  an  exorbitant  fee  and 
the  railway  really  has  to  pay  for  this  because  it  obtains 
a  poorer  class  of  laborers — good  laborers  will  not  pay 
the  exorbitant  fees  charged. 

Company  Labor  Bureau — The  maintenance  of  way 
department  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  established  a  free 
labor  bureau  in  August,  1912,  with  main  office  at  Bal- 
timore. Shortly  afterwards  small  branch  offices  were 
established  at  other  points.  The  original  intention  was 
to  secure  men  for  the  maintenance  of  way  department 
only.  A  short  time  later,  however,  the  service  of  the 
bureau  was  extended  to  secure  men  for  other  branches 
of  the  service,  but  the  bureau  is  still  used  principally 
to  obtain  trackmen. 

In  August,  1913,  the  labor  bureau  was  put  under  the 

18 


THE     BIG     PROBLEM— LABOR 

jurisdiction  of  the  bureau  of  employment  and  is  no 
longer  under  the  supervision  of  the  maintenance  of  way 
department.  Its  affairs  are  administered  by  a  chief 
labor  agent  at  Baltimore.  He  has  an  office  assistant, 
who  also  does  scout  work,  and  three  assistants  who 
travel  from  point  to  point  where  laborers  are  available. 
Attached  tu  .the  bureau  are  men  who  act  from  time  to 
time  as  pilots  for  large  gangs.  These  men  have  had 
wide  experience  in  this  work  and  they  keep  in  touch  with 
available  gangs. 

Newspaper  advertisements  explain  the  requirements 
and  acquaint  the  public  with  the  location  of  the  labor 
bureau  offices,  but  in  addition  there  is  a  man  called  a 
scout  who  distributes  cards  throughout  the  city,  adver- 
tising the  jobs  for  which  men  are  sought.  For  all  jobs 
except  those  on  track,  the  applicants  must  fill  out  the 
standard  application  blanks,  which  are  then  investigated 
by  the  employment  bureau,  the  men  being  taken  on  tem- 
porarily pending  the  outcome  of  the  investigation.  All 
men  accepting  employment  must  pass  a  physical  exami- 
nation. 

Each  man,  when  hired,  is  given  a  card  which  identifies 
him,  the  card  having  a  number,  stating  the  class  of  work 
the  man  is  engaged  for,  the  rate  of  pay,  destination  and 
approximate  time  of  shipment.  The  pass  issued  for  the 
man  has  a  duplicate  of  the  number  on  his  card  so  that 
the  conductor  can  identify  the  laborer.  Pilots  are  sent 
with  large  gangs  which  are  to  be  shipped  a  long  distance, 
and  also  with  gangs  of  foreigners,  if  they  are  unable  to 
speak  English.  The  conductor  takes  care  of  the  men  on 
short  shipments. 

Since  the  demand  for  laborers  is  great,  there  has  been 
but  little  choice  in  the  acceptance  of  men.  The  division 

19 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

people  call  on  the  labor  bureau  frequently  and  favor  the 
plan  very  much,  but  the  most  of  the  men  sent  out  are 
for  extra  gangs  for  temporary  work  and  they  are  laid 
off  when  the  job  is  completed.  The  laborers  favor  the 
plan  because  no  fee  is  charged.  The  labor  bureau  has  not 
undertaken  to  better  the  conditions  of  supervision  or  liv- 
ing for  the  laborers,  this  being  handled  by  the  division 
people.  Judging  by  the  favor  in  which  the  labor  bureau 
is  held  by  the  division  officials  and  the  laborers  them- 
selves, it  is  a  distinct  success. 

OBTAINING    LABORERS PRESENT    PRACTICE. 

The  usual  method  of  obtaining  laborers  might  be  com- 
pared to  the  purchase  of  railway  materials  at  a  fixed 
price  on  specifications  made  up  entirely  by  the  manufac- 
turer. This  is  ridiculous  on  the  face  of  it.  The  primary 
value  of  a  company  labor  bureau  is  simply  that  of  organ- 
ization— the  delegation  of  the  duties  of  hiring  men  to  the 
head  of  the  bureau  who  can  then  be  held  responsible  for 
the  men  obtained.  The  labor  bureau  keeps  in  touch 
with  local  shortages  and  surpluses  over  the  entire  sys- 
tem and  thus  is  able  to  ship  from  places  where  there  is 
a  surplus.  Of  course  there  are  many  small  roads  on 
which  a  labor  bureau  would  not  be  justified,  and  some  of 
the  larger  roads  seem  to  be  obtaining  fair  results  under 
present  methods. 

The  western  lines  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Ry.,  com- 
prising 7140  miles  of  single  main  track  and  973  miles 
of  double  main  track,  have  the  divisional  organization. 
The  district  superintendent  is  responsible  for  all  main- 
tenance of  way  work  and  the  resident  engineer,  bridge 
and  building  master,  roadmaster  and  signal  supervisor 
on  a  district  report  to  him. 

The  larger  number  of  maintenance  of  way  laborers  are 

20 


THE     BIG     PROBLEM— LABOR 

foreigners — Galicians,  Scandinavians,  Italians  and  Rus- 
sians. The  rest  of  the  laborers  are  Americans,  Canadi- 
ans, Scotchmen,  Irishmen  and  Englishmen.  Men  are  col- 
lected in  such  cities  as  Montreal,  Winnipeg  and  Van- 
couver, through  private  labor  agencies.  The  custom  in 
busy  seasons  has  been  to  ask  the  labor  agency  to  supply 
a  certain  number  of  men  for  extra  gang  or  track  section 
work.  These  men  are  transported  free  to  the  point  of 
work  and  are  sent  in  charge  of  a  constable,  who  remains 
in  charge  until  the  men  are  turned  over  to  the  roadmas- 
ter  under  whose  direction  they  are  to  work  The  men's 
pay  begins  when  they  actually  commence  work. 

The  Chicago  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Ry.  usually  ob- 
tains its  laborers  in  Chicago,  although  sometimes  they 
are  procured  from  Milwaukee,  Minneapolis,  St.  Paul, 
Kansas  City,  Omaha,  Sioux  City,  Des  Moines,  Cedar 
Rapids  or  various  other  large  cities  on  the  lines.  These 
laborers  are  obtained  through  private  labor  agencies  and 
are  inspected  before  they  are  accepted  and  given  trans- 
portation. No  labor  bureau  is  maintained.  All  matters 
pertaining  to  the  work  are  handled  through  the  office  of 
the  vice-president  of  operation  and  construction. 

On  the  Chicago  Great  Western  R.  R.  the  maintenance 
of  way  laborers  are  obtained  in  Chicago,  Des  Moines, 
Kansas  City  and  St.  Paul  through  private  labor  agencies. 
The  men  furnished  are  usually  inspected  before  being 
loaded  into  the  cars  at  point  of  shipment.  This  system 
is  not  very  large  and  the  general  manager,  chief  engineer 
and  superintendents  can  all  keep  in  touch  with  each  su- 
pervisor and  in  a  large  measure  with  each  section  fore- 
man. Under  these  conditions,  present  methods  seem  to 
be  efficient. 

Most  of  the  track  laborers  on  the  Illinois  Central  R.  R. 

21 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

are  obtained  from  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Louisville,  Mem- 
phis and  New  Orleans,  often  through  private  labor 
agencies,  although  foremen  generally  hire  their  own 
men.  Laborers  furnished  by  private  labor  agencies  are 
not  inspected  before  being  accepted. 

On  the  Chicago  &  North  Western  Ry.  most  of  the  men 
are  obtained  locally.  Where  they  cannot  be  obtained  along 
the  line  of  the  road,  they  are  shipped  from  such  labor 
centers  as  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  Sioux  City,  Omaha,  etc. 
Laborers  are  employed  through  licensed  agencies,  no  com- 
pany agencies  being  maintained.  A  regular  inspector 
is  not  employed  to  accept  the  shipments,  but  frequent 
observations  are  made  of  the  class  of  men  being  sent  out. 

The  laborers  on  the  lines  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Co. 
are  obtained  from  San  Francisco,  Oakland,  Los  Angeles, 
Portland,  Sacramento  and  other  large  towns.  Most  of* 
them  are  hired  by  direct  application  of  the  men  them- 
selves to  the  division  engineers,  roadmasters  or  superin- 
tendents. The  principal  exception  to  this  is  in  the  case 
of  Mexican  labor  used  in  Southern  California,  Arizona 
and  New  Mexico,  these  laborers  being  hired  through  a 
delegated  representative  established  for  the  purpose.  An 
employe  of  the  company  is  delegated  to  the  agency  to  in- 
spect and  accept  shipments. 

HOLDING    LABORERS. 

Humanitarian  principles  demand  that  laborers  be  ac- 
corded all  possible  advantages  and  conveniences.  If  men 
are  to  be  retained  in  track  work,  which  is  greatly  to  be 
desired,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  look  after  their  wel- 
fare. We  believe  that  laborers  should  be  assured:  (1) 
Permanent  or  year  around  work.  (2)  Sanitary,  com- 
fortable habitations.  (3)  Good  food.  (4)  Considerate 
treatment.  (5)  The  possibility  of  promotion.  (6)  In- 

22 


THE    BIG     PROBLEM— LABOR 

struction  in  track  work.  (7)  Free  transportation.  (8) 
Pensions.  (9)  Motor  cars.  (10)  Labor  saving  tools. 
(11)  Increase  in  wages,  depending  on  increase  in  amount 
of  work  done  and  length  of  service.  The  faithfulness  of 
section  men  is  proverbial  and  even  under  the  most  care- 
less treatment  the  section  forces  in  emergencies  respond 
freely  to  the  great  demands  upon  their  energy.  This 
loyalty  could  be  greatly  augmented  by  the  officials  work- 
ing for  an  improvement  in  conditions. 

(1)  Year  Around  Work — So  deeply  rooted  is  the 
present  system  of  increasing  and  decreasing  forces  that 
it  will  require  strong  and  convincing  proof  of  economy 
to  change  the  practice.  It  requires  more  time  to  do  poor 
work  with  inexperienced  men  than  to  do  good  work  with 
experienced  men.  It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  railways 
can  retain  men  in  their  employ  when  they  cannot  be 
worked  to  advantage,  but  it  is  the  policy  of  wisdom  and 
economy  to  reduce  forces  more  judiciously  and  to  retain 
more  men  permanently. 

The  Long  Island  R.  R.  in  1912  adopted  the  system  of 
employing  men  permanently.  This  road  has  a  sandy  sub- 
soil which  does  not  freeze  very  deeply  in  the  winter  time 
and  there  is  very  little  track  heaving.  Five  laborers  are, 
allowed  to  each  section  the  year  around,  whereas  former- 
ly the  forces  fluctuated  with  a  maximum  of  eight  labor- 
ers. At  the  time  of  the  change  the  pay  of  the  track  la- 
borers as  well  as  the  foreman  and  assistant  foreman  was 
raised.  The  men  are  assured  permanent  employment  a? 
long  as  their  work  is  satisfactory,  although  in  the  winter 
time  the  forces  work  only  9  hours  per  day. 

The  extra  gangs  have  been  decreased  to  five  of 
ten  men  each.  The  total  number  of  men  was  reduced 
sufficiently  to  make  the  year's  pay  roll  the  same  as  it  was 

23 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

previously  and  the  allowance  is  now  one  man  to  1.6  miles 
of  main  line  track.  This  change  has  resulted  in  an 
increase  in  efficiency  of  about  35  per  cent.  About  50 
per  cent  of  the  old  employes  have  been  replaced  with 
more  efficient  men  and  there  are  many  applications  on 
file  from  good  men  for  positions  as  laborer  and  also 
for  positions  as  foreman.  In  1913,  37.5  more  ties 
were  put  in  than  in  1912,  the  cost  for  labor  and  super- 
vision being  exactly  the  same.  The  personal  injuries 
have  been  greatly  decreased  on  account  of  having  more 
intelligent  and  experienced  men  on  the  work. 

(2)  Sanitary  Housing — Some  trackman  is  authorT 
ity  for  the  statement  that  the  quarters  furnished  many 
track  laborers  would  be  shunned  by  a  high  breed  of  pigs. 
It  is  only  recently  that  this  subject  has  attracted  the  at- 
tention it  deserves.  Where  bunk  cars  or  section  houses 
are  provided,  an  effort  should  be  made  not  only  to  make 
them  durable,  but  to  make  them  pleasant  to  live  in.  Some 
of  the  houses  which  have  been  built  for  this  purpose  do 
not  tend  to  raise  the  foreman's  respect  for  himself  or 
for  his  job. 

The  sanitary  housing  of  track  laborers  depends  much 
upon  the  foreman.  Some  foremen  make  it  a  practice  to 
send  a  man  into  headquarters  every  Saturday  afternoon 
to  scrub  out  the  bunk  houses  or  cars  and  clean  up  the  sur- 
rounding grounds.  The  foreman  then  inspects  the  houses 
or  cars  to  assure  himself  that  the  man  has  made  them 
scrupulously  clean.  The  result  of  this  system  is  that  the 
bunk  houses  used  by  white  men  compare  favorably  with 
any  other  habitations  in  the  community. 

The  laborers  on  the  Boston  &  Albany  R.  R.  usually 
can  obtain  board  in  private  families,  but  it  has  been  nec- 
essary to  provide  places  for  them  to  sleep.  Old  passen- 

24 


THE    BIG    PROBLEM— LABOR 


EL                   |ffl 

VLAQ  BOLT 

^'LAG&OLT 

%j'LAQ  BOLT 

LOTjITUDIflAL   SECTION 
12'  


V.    5UDI/1G&4SH 
24'X30'-4L 


FLOOR.  PLA/1 


Fig.  1.— Standard  Two-Room  Bunk  House,  B.  &  O.  R.  R. 


25 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

ger  coaches  have  been  equipped  with  bunks  for  this  pur- 
pose— they  provide  an  airy,  light  and  sanitary  housing 
as  compared  with  box  cars.  Other  roads  have  been  able 
to  make  material  improvements  by  paying  greater  atten- 
tion to  the  box  cars  used  for  bunk  cars — keeping  them 
clean  and  sanitary  and  providing  cleaner  and  better 
bunks  and  bedding. 

On  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  R.  R.,  where  it  is  found  nec- 
essary to  do  so,  a  two-room  house  of  standard  design  is 
built  which  provides  one  room  for  the  bunks  and  the 
other  for  the  kitchen  and  living  room.  In  places  where 
the  necessity  for  such  quarters  is  only  temporary,  a  box 
car  is  set  off  the  tracks  and  adapted  to  living  purposes 
by  putting  in  the  necessary  doors  and  windows  for  light 
and  ventilation.  Although  the  house  is  divided  off  for 
bunks  and  kitchen,  the  men  in  most  cases  rearrange  the 
interior  to  suit  themselves.  Regular  section  men  provide 
their  own  bedding  and  kitchen  utensils.  The  Chicago 
Great  Western  R.  R.  uses  box  car  bodies  set  off  of  the 
trucks  at  the  stations  for  housing  laborers.  Special  pains 
are  taken  to  make  these  comfortable  with  bunks,  win- 
dows and  doors.  The  Illinois  Central  provides  camp  cars 
and  portable  houses  equipped  with  bunks. 

(3)  Assuring  Laborers  Good  Food — Unless  the  sup- 
plies for  laborers,  especially  for  foreigners,  are  looked 
after  by  some  of  the  railway  officials,  there  is  no  assur- 
ance that  the  men  will  not  be  overcharged  and  furnished 
food  which  is  unfit  to  eat.  Since  the  laborer's  ability 
to  do  a  real  day's  work  depends  so  directly  upon  the  way 
he  is  fed,  it  is  very  essential  that  steps  be  taken  which 
will  not  only  insure  the  proper  kind  of  food  being  fur- 
nished, but  will  prevent  overcharges.  In  some  cases  the 
establishment  of  a  company  commissary  or  a  commissary 

26 


THE    BIG    PROBLEM— LABOR 

department,  or  in  extreme  cases  company  boarding  camps 
might  be  required.  In  sparsely  settled  territory  the  sec- 
tion foreman  is  sometimes  allowed  to  board  his  laborers, 
and  the  men  are  usually  satisfied  with  the  food  furnished. 
A  good  many  railways  allow  section  laborers  to  cultivate 
unused  portions  of  the  right  of  way  for  raising  garden 
vegetables,  etc.  This  not  only  helps  to  retain  laborers, 
but  helps  the  section  work  because  it  is  unnecessary  to 
weed  or  mow  that  particular  portion  of  the  right  of  way. 
These  concessions  increase  the  value  of  the  section  la- 
borer's job. 

It  is  very  essential  that  track  laborers  be  furnished  good 
drinking  water.  At  stations  where  this  cannot  be  ob- 
tained, provision  should  be  made  to  secure  it  elsewhere 
and  to  transport  it  to  the  station  in  clean  tanks.  The  wa- 
ter should  then  be  stored  in  cisterns  in  order  to  keep  it 
cool  and  fresh.  The  practice  of  keeping  the  water  in  the 
tanks  until  the  men  use  it  is  not  only  unsatisfactory,  but 
insanitary. 

Most  railway  companies  arrange  to  guarantee  the 
board  bills,  of  new  laborers  and  deduct  the  amounts  of 
the  board  bills  from  the  laborer's  pay.  This  arrangement 
helps  materially  in  obtaining  new  laborers. 

(4)  Foreman's  Treatment  of  Men — The  day  of  the 
profane  and  wordy  driver  of  men  is  over.  It  is  impossi- 
ble for  a  foreman  of  this  type  to  keep  a  gang  of  men 
in  these  days  of  labor  scarcity.  A  foreman  must  be  en- 
ergetic, not  indolent,  and  must  constantly  devise  methods 
to  hasten  the  work  and  eliminate  lost  motion.  Neither  is 
there  a  place  for  the  foreman  who  is  over  indulgent  or 
too  familiar  with  his  men.  Nowhere  is  the  old  saying, 
"Familiarity  breeds  contempt"  more  aptly  illustrated  than 
in  the  relations  between  foreman  and  laborer.  When  a 

27 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

gang  of  laborers  has  a  feeling  of  comradeship  with  the 
foreman,  discipline  ceases. 

The  position  requires  a  man  with  unlimited  patience, 
but  one  who  exacts  strict  obedience  while  treating  his 
men  as  human  beings.  Discipline  is  not  loud  talk;  in 
fact  some  of  the  quietest  men  exact  and  obtain  the  strict- 
est obedience.  A  gang  which  is  well  organized  and  well 
disciplined  will  remain  on  a  job  long  after  the  poorly 
disciplined  and  poorly  organized  gang  has  left.  It  is  hu- 
man nature  to  dislike  to  work  for  an  incompetent  or  a 
weakling.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  surprising  what  can 
sometimes  be  accomplished  with  a  gang  working  in  a 
desultory  manner  when  the  men  begin  to  see  that  their 
every  move  is  resulting  in  the  greatest  progress  for  the 
energy  expended.  Gradually  interest  is  awakened,  and 
-once  the  interest  of  even  the  poorest  class  of  labor  is 
aroused,  the  results  can  be  doubled  or  tripled.  The  first 
feeling  toward  a  foreman  who  "means  business"  all  the 
time,  is  quite  likely  to  be  one  of  dislike;  but  if  a  little 
tact  is  sprinkled  in  with  discipline,  this  feeling  can  soon 
be  changed  to  respect  and  the  foreman  who  has  the  re- 
spect of  his  men  will  retain  them  in  his  employ,  other 
conditions  being  favorable.  Organization  and  discipline 
go  hand  in  hand.  Proper  organization  guarantees  the 
greatest  results  for  the  amount  of  energy  expended,  and 
discipline  is  necessary  to  obtain  proper  organization. 

Discipline  should  be  tempered  with  good  judgment. 
As  an  instance,  the  general  foreman  on  a  new  line,  many 
miles  from  "civilization  discharged  an  interpreter.  The 
result  of  this  discipline  was  that  the  entire  gang  quit 
work  until  the  interpreter  was  reinstated,  and  since  a 
new  gang  could  not  be  obtained  immediately,  and  it 
was  absolutely  necessary  to  keep  a  gang  on  the  job,  the 

28 


THE     BIG     PROBLEM— LABOR 

general  foreman  was  forced  to  reinstate  him.  Of  course 
this  act  destroyed  the  foreman's  discipline  over  the  gang. 
Many  times  such  a  crisis  can  be  passed  over  by  using  a 
little  tact  and  not  getting  into  a  situation  where  it  is  nec- 
essary to  make  a  display  of  authority.  Then  later,  with 
the  laborers  in  a  different  mood,  the  necessary  order  may 
be  safely  insisted  upon.  This  does  not  mean  that  the 
wishes  of  the  laborers  should  not  be  crossed,  but  it  does 
mean  that  it  is  folly  to  arouse  the  antagonism  of  a  gang 
for  a  trivial  cause,  or  just  to  show  authority;  and  this  is 
especially  true  when  the  laborers  are  in  a  bad  humor,  as 
they  are  likely  to  be  when  surfacing  in  muddy  ballast, 
when  working  in  a  rain  or  under  other  unfavorable  con- 
ditions. 

If  a  foreman  makes  a  study  of  and  adapts  his  methods 
to  the  particular  characteristics  of  each  man,  he  will  gain 
the  good  will  of  the  laborers  and  be  able  to  retain  them 
much  longer  than  if  otherwise  treated.  Some  men  must 
be  driven,  others  will  work  on  suggestion  alone,  others 
must  be  led,  and  still  others  must  be  influenced  by  instruc- 
tion and  example.  Housing  conditions,  working  condi- 
tions, rate  of  pay,  etc.,  all  have  their  effects  on  holding 
or  driving  away  laborers,  but  the  characteristics  of  the 
foreman,  as  evidenced  in  discipline,  organization  and  in- 
telligence, are  of  very  vital  importance  in  the  solution  of 
the  problem. 

(5)  The  Possibility  of  Promotion — Under  no  cir- 
cumstances should  outsiders  be  given  the  higher  posi- 
tions of  assistant  foreman,  foreman,  assistant  roadmas- 
ter  or  roadmaster  when  there  is  material  available  in  the 
company  forces  to  fill  these  positions.  In  fact  it  is  much 
better  to  take  a  chance  on  an  old  employe  having  the 
requisite  ability,  than  to  hire  new  untried  employes,  even 

29 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

though  they  may  be  well  recommended.  If  a  com- 
pany allows  the  section  foreman  to  pay  one  or  more 
men  in  the  gang  higher  wages,  it  will  usually  be  possible 
to  hold  these  men  long  enough  to  develop  them  into  as- 
sistant foremen. 

The  Baltimore  &  Ohio  R.  R.  has  a  man  in  each  gang 
called  the  "leading  laborer,"  who  is  paid  a  higher  rate 
than  the  rest  of  the  gang,  and  these  men  are  appointed 
assistant  section  foremen  as  opportunity  offers.  This 
method  has  helped  materially  in  developing  section  fore- 
men and  in  holding  intelligent  laborers,  because  they  see 
a  prospect  of  promotion.  On  other  roads  the  section 
foremen  are  simply  the  best  laborers  picked  out  of  the 
gangs.  Such  laborers  receive  the  same  pay  as  the  rest 
of  the  gang  and  for  this  reason  the  more  intelligent 
men  are  likely  to  leave  before  promotion  comes.  It 
the  wages  of  the  laborers  were  graded  and  a  man 
could  see  a  possibility  of  receiving  increased  pay  as 
his  ability  increased,  there  would  be  a  much  greater 
likelihood  of  retaining  intelligent  men  in  the  employ. 

(6)  Instruction  in  Track  Work — The  amount  of 
instruction  that  can  be  given  by  the  ordinary  railway  or- 
ganization will  of  course  vary,  depending  somewhat  on 
the  size  of  the  road.  It  is  possible,  however,  for  the 
track  foreman  to  obtain  a  good  deal  of  valuable  knowl- 
edge from  the  roadmaster  and  the  track  laborer  from 
the  track  foreman,  but  in  order  to  bring  this  about 
it  is  usually  necessary  to  adopt  a  definite  policy  and 
issue  orders  to  the  officers  concerned,  suggesting  in  de- 
tail just  what  each  is  expected  to  do.  On  the  Union 
Pacific  it  has  been  the  practice  for  several  years  to  edu- 
cate intelligent  and  promising  laborers  by  placing  them 
in  a  school  gang  under  a  foreman  of  exceptional  ability. 

30 


THE    BIG     PROBLEM— LABOR 

A  little  encouragement  from  higher  officials  will  cause 
an  ambitious  trackman  to  read  all  of  the  practical  books 
which  he  can  obtain  and  all  of  the  practical  articles  which 
appear  in  periodicals.  A  great  deal  depends  simply  on 
the  expressed  attitude  of  the  higher  officials  toward  edu- 
cation and  the  influence  which  it  has  on  promotion.  If 
in  addition  to  this  it  were  possible  to  delegate  some  one 
officer  or  committee  of  officers  to  draft  up  general  in- 
structions, and  to  keep  on  the  lookout  for  good  educa- 
tional matter  to  circulate  among  the  foremen,  a  great 
deal  of  good  could  be  accomplished.  Meetings  of  sec- 
tion foremen  where  there  is  an  exchange  of  views  and 
experiences  are  exceedingly  valuable  for  educating  the 
foremen,  and  similar  meetings  would  be  valuable  for 
educating  laborers.  One  railway  is  distributing  news- 
papers and  periodicals  as  far  as  possible  to  the  employes, 
with  the  hope  not  only  of  educating  them  but  of  furnish- 
ing something  for  their  entertainment  outside  of  working 
hours. 

(7)  Transportation — Some  railroads  are  exceeding- 
ly reluctant  to  issue  transportation  to  trackmen,  while 
employes  of  other  departments  are  treated  liberally.  Of 
course  this  discrimination  causes  dissatisfaction  among 
trackmen.  Limited  transportation  should  be  granted 
after  a  short  time  spent  in  the  railway's  service,  and  a 
gradual  increase  of  the  amount  of  transportation  al- 
lowed would  result  in  an  increase  of  satisfaction  and  effi- 
ciency among  track  forces  which  would  more  than  off- 
set the  cash  value  of  the  fares  allowed.  On  the  Cana- 
dian Pacific  the  section  foreman  is  allowed  transporta- 
tion as  follows : 

After  6  months'  service,  pass  annually  over  the  dis- 
trict. 

31 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

After  1  year's  service,  pass  annually  over  the  division. 
After  3  years'  service,  pass  annually  over  the  system. 
After  5  years'  service,  pass  over  foreign  lines. 

(8)  Pensions — Many  railways  have  developed  pen- 
sion systems  which  help  greatly  to  retain  laborers.  The 
Canadian  Pacific  system  is  a  typical  one;  it  allows  for 
each  year  of  service,  10  per  cent  of  the  average  monthly 
pay  received  for  the  10  years  preceding  retirement,  or 
preceding  the  date  upon  which  the  company  employe  at- 
tained the  age  of  65  years,  should  he  be  retained  in  the 
service  after  such  date. 

(9)  Motor  Cars — Supplying  the  section  forces  with 
motor  cars  helps  to  keep  laborers  satisfied.     Motor  cars, 
if  they  are  simple  and  reliable,  pay  big  dividends.     Not 
only  do  they  save  the  energy  of  the  laborers  going  to  and 
from  work,  but  they  save  from  one-half  to  two-thirds  the 
time  which  the  hand  cars  would  require  to  cover  the 
same  distance.    The  section  laborer  who  rides  on  a  motor 
car  acquires  a  greater  respect  for  his  job.    Some  rail- 
ways which  do  not  feel  financially  able  to  purchase  mo- 
tor cars,  will  assume  the  expense  of  installation  on  a  re- 
inforced hand  car  and  will  also  furnish  a  certain  amount 
of  gasoline  per  month  for  the  foremen's  use,  provided 
the  section  foreman  purchases  a  hand  car  engine. 

(10)  Labor   Saving  Tools — The   gradual   introduc- 
tion of  power  devices  and  improved  tools  for  the  use  of 
section  laborers  has  tended  to  make  the  work  less  ardu- 
ous.    The  use  of  such  tools  or  appliances  for  disagree- 
able work  is   particularly  profitable.     For   instance  the 
use  of  a  ditching  machine  for  cleaning  out  the  ditches 
in  wet  cuts  or  the  use  of  tie  tongs  for  handling  creosoted 
ties,  besides  being  a  great  deal  cheaper,  creates  a  decided 
impression  of  satisfaction  on  the  part  of    the    laborer, 

32 


THE     BIG     PROBLEM— LABOR 

for  he  sees  that  there  is  some  consideration  for  him  per- 
sonally. Using  poor  tools  or  those  inadequate  for  the 
purpose  is  exasperating  and  breeds  dissatisfaction. 

(11)  Graded  Rates  of  Wages — A  conscientious 
employe  certainly  earns  much  more  money  after  he  has 
been  in  the  employ  a  number  of  years.  Instead  of  pay- 
ing track  laborers  a  flat  rate  therefore,  the  rates  should 
be  graded  and  a  man's  pay  increased  in  proportion  to 
the  increase  in  the  amount  of  work  he  does  and  the  length 
of  time  he  stays  with  the  railway.  The  main  objection 
to  allowing  graded  rates  of  pay,  possibly,  has  been  the 
fear  that  foremen  would  show  undue  favoritism.  An- 
other serious  objection  to  allowing  graded  rates  of  pay 
is  that  many  roads  specify  that  the  older  or  permanent 
men  are  to  receive  the  highest  rate,  which  makes  it  hard 
to  secure  and  retain  the  extra  men  that  are  employed 
only  for  a  short  period  during  busy  seasons  or  in  an 
emergency.  Favoritism  which  would  result  in  poor  la- 
borers receiving  higher  rates  than  their  ability  warrants 
is  not  likely  because  the  roadmaster  would  be  pretty  well 
conversant  with  the  capabilities  as  well  as  the  rates  paid 
the  different  men  on  each  gang. 

By  offering  section  laborers  an  increase  in  pay  with 
increase  in  knowledge  and  efficiency,  as  well  as  length  of 
service,  the  railway  would  offer  some  inducement  for  the 
development  of  men  for  the  position  of  section  foreman. 

OPPORTUNITIES  FOR  TRACK  LABORERS. 

A  prominent  maintenance  of  way  engineer  has  the 
following  to  say  about  opportunities  for  track  laborers : 
"It  seems  to  be  a  prevailing  idea  that  there  are  no  oppor- 
tunities for  those  who  have  to  start  in  track  work  at  the 
bottom.  And  many  consider  it  entirely  too  humiliating 
to  be  engaged  in  common  labor ;  yet  it  is  one  of  the  most 

33 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

important  features  of  the  business  to  learn  how  to  handle 
tools,  so  that  in  later  days  a  man  may  be  properly  quali- 
fied to  direct  work.  The  ability  to  take  hold  of  the  tools 
and  show  a  man  exactly  how  to  do  the  work  will  com- 
mand far  greater  respect  from  the  laborers. 

"There  are  many  other  lines  of  industry  in  which  more 
effort  and  longer  service  are  required  before  the  laborer 
is  considered  to  have  sufficient  knowledge  to  warrant 
promotion;  and  the  compensation  in  track  work,  taken 
all  in  all,  in  many  cases  is  better  than  in  other  lines  of 
work.  If  a  track  laborer,  when  he  starts  out,  makes  it 
known  that  he  desires  to  learn  track  work,  there  are  few 
foremen  but  will  be  found  willing  to  assist  him.  The 
very  essential  factor,  however,  is  patience,  and  it  is  a 
pity  that  many  lack  this  all-important  qualification. 

"The  best  way  to  get  into  the  good  graces  of  the  fore- 
man is  to  take  an  interest  in  the  work,  in  which  case 
the  foreman  will  naturally  take  an  interest  in  the  laborer 
and  permit  him  to  supervise  odd  jobs  such  as  adjusting 
switches,  raising  and  lining  track,  changing  out  rails, 
ties,  etc.,  and  in  due  time  the  laborer  will  become  profi- 
cient in  such  duties  and  also  in  mingling  with,  handling 
and  directing  men.  In  this  way  the  laborer  becomes 
competent  to  judge  what  constitutes  a  day's  work. 
There  is  constant  need  for  good  track  foremen  and  a 
laborer  who  shows  proficiency  will  be  recommended  to 
the  roadmaster.  The  foreman,  by  such  a  recommen- 
dation, adds  to  his  own  standing  with  his  superior  for 
having  developed  such  a  man,  and  in  addition  is  reward- 
ed by  securing  better  services  from  his  remaining  labor- 
ers in  the  hope  that  they  too  may  advance.  After 
the  laborer  is  appointed  a  foreman,  he  can  attract  spe- 
cial attention  by  striving  to  excel  others  in  the  work,  and 

34 


THE     BIG     PROBLEM— LABOR 

promotion  then  comes  in  the  shape  of  an  appointment 
as  yard  foreman,  extra  gang  foreman,  etc. 

"It  is  quite  surprising  to  know  how  well  so  many  track- 
men are  doing.  It  is  very  difficult  to  replace  the  many 
who  purchase  or  take  up  land  and  who  make  improve- 
ments on  it  while  they  were  yet  section  foremen,  and 
then  get  so  prosperous  that  they  leave  the  railway.  The 
work  of  a  track  laborer  is  healthful,  always  being  in  the 
open  air,  and  the  workman  gets  three,  or  at  least  two 
meals  per  day  at  his  own  home,  returning  home  every 
night,  barring  emergencies.  Section  houses  are  usually 
located  in  towns  where  hogs,  chickens,  cows,  etc.,  can 
be  raised,  and  the  section  foreman  and  family  usually 
have  as  large  a  circle  of  friends  as  those  engaged  in 
other  occupations.  In  fact  they  have  the  same  opportu- 
nities as  others  to  become  leaders  in  the  community.  In 
passing  over  the  lines,  after  an  absence  of  several  years, 
and  meeting  men  who  are  still  in  the  service,  it  is  aston- 
ishing to  find  out  how  many  have  left  the  service  and  are 
prospering,  and  the  men  who  have  not  left  are  found  to 
be  in  comfortable  circumstances. 

'There  are  many  other  advantages  which  might  be 
enumerated;  among  them  being  the  fact  that  it  is  not 
necessary  to  have  any  better  clothing  than  overalls  in 
summer,  and  simple,  warm  clothing  in  winter.  I  have 
known  of  many  skilled  laborers  who  leave  cities  where 
they  received  $3  per  day  and  more  to  work  on  the  road 
for  from  15  cents  to  17^  cents  an  hour,  because  they  say 
they  can  save  more  at  these  wages  in  the  country  than 
they  can  at  the  higher  wages  in  the  city." 


35 


CHAPTER  II. 
DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN. 

The  solution  of  the  track  labor  problem  will  prac- 
tically solve  the  problem  of  future  track  foremen.  We 
use  the  term  "track  foreman"  advisedly.  A  certain 
odium  has  come  to  be  attached  to  the  title  of  "section 
foreman."  As  a  matter  of  fact,  foremen  should  be  able 
to  do  all  kinds  of  track  work  (construction  as  well  as 
maintenance),  and  so  their  title  should  properly  be 
"track  foreman." 

E.  R.  Lewis,  assistant  general  manager  of  the  Du- 
luth  South  Shore  &  Atlantic  Ry.,  said  in  an  article  in 
the  Railway  Age  Gazette  : 

"The  responsibilities  of  the  foreman  are  heavier  and 
more  continuous  than  those  of  the  engineman  or  train- 
man. The  foreman  must  be  able  not  only  to  perform 
more  physical  labor  than  any  man  in  his  gang,  and  to 
do  it  more  steadily,  but  he  is  required  to  send  to  head- 
quarters some  20  different  kinds  of  reports  each  month, 
to  the  total  average  number  of  thirty-five,  besides  tele- 
grams concerning  any  ususual  happenings  on  his  terri- 
tory. This  clerical  work  begins  each  day  when  his 
track  labor  ends. 

"He  is  timekeeper  for  himself  and  his  men.  He  is 
responsible  for  safety  of  the  tracks,  switches,  water- 
ways, crossings  and  in  many  cases  for  switch  and 
semaphore  lamps  on  his  section.  He  is  responsible 
for  track  repairs  and  for  emergency  repairs  to  tele- 
graph lines,  bridges  and  culverts,  signals  and  inter- 
locking ;  for  the  safe  conduct  of  his  men  and  care  over 

36 


DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN 

main  tracks  without  any  safeguard  in  the  way  of  train 
orders.  He  must  know  the  time  of  arrival  and  depar- 
ture of  all  regular  trains  and  whether  or  not  they  are 
running  late,  timing  his  work  accordingly.  He  must 
be  as  familiar  with  the  flagging  rules  as  are  the  train- 
men and  enginemen.  He  must  effectively  police  the 
company's  property  against  all  acts  of  trespass  and 
vandalism  without  any  real  police  power.  He  is  re- 
sponsible for  the  proper  care  and  appearance  of  the 
right  of  way  and  the  fence  enclosing  it.  He  must  deal 
as  the  company's  representative  with  adjacent  property 
owners.  He  has  more  than  a  hundred  other  duties  to 
be  found  in  detail  in  the  rule  books.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising then  that  employers  of  section  men  and  fore- 
men are  often  perplexed  in  the  attempt  to  select  fore- 
men capable  of  filling  all  these  diversified  require- 
ments." 

The  foreman  must  master  the  effects  of  varying 
conditions  on  the  track,  among  which  might  be  men- 
tioned temperature,  wind,  moisture,  friction,  chemical 
action,  stress,  movements  of  trains  and  passage  of  time 
on  the  different  materials.  He  must  know  the  actions 
or  preventives  which  will  counteract  the  effects  of 
these  changes  and  he  must  also  acquire  what  might  be 
termed  "railroad  intuition." 

A  foreman  must  show  more  ability  in  his  line  of 
work  than  the  men  in  the  train  or  engine  service  be- 
cause each  foreman  stands  alone,  while  in  other  de- 
partments the  employe  has  the  support  of  his  fellows. 
For  this  reason  the  foreman  must  be  self-reliant  and  he 
must  have  keen  judgment. 

S.  W.  Kapp,  in  a  paper  before  the  Engineer's  Club 

37 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

of  Philadelphia,  said:  "The  track  foreman  must  be 
posted  on  the  operating  rules,  conditions  and  practices 
affecting  the  running  of  trains ;  he  must  acquire  a  gen- 
eral knowledge  of  the  peculiarities  of  equipment  and 
their  effect  on  his  work ;  he  must  be  familiar  with  the 
requirements  for  shipment,  receipt  and  inspection  of 
material ;  he  must  learn  to  make  repairs  and  renewals 
and  do  his  work  without  unnecessary  interference  with 
the  movement  of  trains — the  most  of  this  must  be  done 
without  any  interference;  he  must  learn  to  discrimi- 
nate between  the  many  things  calling  for  his  attention 
so  that  he  can  take  care  of  what  is  most  important 
from  an  operating  or  maintenance  standpoint,  as  the 
case  may  be ;  and  he  must  maintain  amicable  relations 
with  the  railroad  company's  neighbors,  his  inferiors, 
superiors  and  his  fellow  employes. 

While  Mr.  Kapp  says  a  foreman  must  learn  how  to 
make  repairs,  etc.,  he  doubtless  means  that  he  must 
learn  this  while  he  is  still  a  laborer.  Before  a  man  is 
appointed  foreman  he  must  know  how  to  do  these 
things;  he  must  know  how  to  discriminate  between  the 
kinds  of  work  and  select  that  which  is  most  important. 
The  track  foreman  must  not  expect  100  per  cent  effi- 
ciency from  an  inexperienced  laborer  and  he  must  devote 
more  attention  to  him  than  to  an  experienced  man. 
Track  foremen  may  be  divided  into  three  classes:  (1) 
the  hustler;  (2)  the  brainy  foreman  who  maintains  a 
steady  but  medium  gait,  and  (3)  the  man  who  combines 
both  brains  and  hustling  ability.  Frequently  the  hustler 
does  a  lot  of  extra  work  because  he  does  not  plan  out  in 
advance  the  proper  order  in  which  to  do  it.  The  fore- 
man who  uses  his  head  may  work  less  and  accomplish 

38 


DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN 

more  than  the  foreman  who  always  hustles  without  plan- 
ning his  work.  If  a  foreman  uses  his  head  and  plans  his 
work,  and  then  pushes  it  hard,  he  will  accomplish  the 
most.  Because  a  man  is  a  hustler,  then,  is  not  an  infalli- 
ble sign  that  he  is  a  first-class  foreman. 

A  foreman  should  not  be  touchy  and  thin-skinned,  for 
constructive  criticism  is  necessary  in  developing  a  good 
trackman.  He  should  always  be  ready  and  willing  to  do 
more  than  he  is  actually  required  to  do,  for  then  will 
he  be  worth  more  money  to  the  company.  He  should 
be  an  enthusiast  about  his  work,  as  this  will  not  only 
increase  his  ability,  but  make  his  position  more  enjoy- 
able and  less  of  a  drudge. 

Necessary  Versus  Desirable  Work. — There  is  plenty 
of  room  for  the  exercise  of  a  nice  judgment  in  track 
maintenance,  and  this  is  especially  true  in  spring  and  sum- 
mer when  there  is  so  much  work  that  a  foreman  hardly 
knows  what  to  turn  his  hand  to  first.  Mr.  Kapp,  in 
the  paper  men  ioned  above,  states  that  the  relative  im- 
portance of  the  different  kinds  of  work  is  as  follows: 
(1)  that  necessary  for  safety,  (2)  necessary  for  opera- 
tion, (3)  necessary  by  statute  and  ordinance,  (4) 
necessary  on  account  of  road's  requirements,  (5) 
necessary  for  proper  maintenance,  (6)  necessary  for 
economical  maintenance,  (7)  necessary  for  appear- 
ances, (8)  necessary  for  improvement  of  any  one  of  the 
above,  (9)  necessary  to  please  the  public,  (10)  neces- 
sary to  please  individuals  of  the  public,  (11)  neces- 
sary to  please  officials  of  the  road,  (12)  necessary  to 
please  individual  railroad  officials. 

This  enumeration  shows  that  the  section  foreman 
must  have  no  mean  ability,  and  indicates  the  necessity 

39 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

for  proper  training  if  even  fair  efficiency  is  to  be  main- 
tained in  track  work. 

One  railroad  official  states  that  in  increasing  the  effi- 
ciency of  his  foremen  he  has  worked  toward:  (1) 
awakening  the  employe's  interest,  (2)  awakening  the 
employe's  pride  in  his  work,  (3)  cultivating  a  feeling 
of  personal  loyalty  on  the  part  of  the  employe,  (4)  in- 
creasing the  skill  and  value  of  the  individual,  (5)  mak- 
ing the  employe  realize  that  all  this  will  work  out  to 
his  own  personal  advantage  and  advancement.  The 
awakening  of  interest  is  by  far  the  most  important 
because  once  a  man's  interest  is  awakened  the  other 
desired  characteristics  will  follow. 

Need  for  More  Careful  Maintenance. — The  great  in- 
crease in  the  weight  of  rolling  stock  and  greater  speed 
of  trains  has  made  better  maintenance  imperative.  The 
track  is  called  upon  to  carry. an  immense  load,  travel- 
ing over  it  at  high  speed,  and  yet  no  particular  care  is 
taken  with  the  foundation.  In  fact  the  foundation 
usually  consists  of  earth  excavated  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  and  compacted  poorly,  if  at  all.  Some  of  the 
material  which  is  used  for  embankments  is  very  un- 
stable and  in  order  to  make  it  carry  its  load,  constant 
attention  and  a  full  understanding  of  track  work  are 
necessary.  Thus,  while  it  seems  that  the  supply  of 
good  section  foremen  is  decreasing,  the  necessity  for 
good  foremen  is  increasing.  With  good  foremen,  good 
maintenance  can  be  obtained  from  even  a  poor  class  of 
laborers. 

In  spite  of  these  facts  many  higher  officials  do  not 
seem  to  realize  that  the  status  of  the  track  foreman 
must  be  raised.  They  believe  that  when  a  good  fore- 
man leaves  their  employ  a  man  of  inferior  mentality 

40 


DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN 

will  be  found  who  can  fill  the  position  just  as  well. 
Why  Men  Are  Not  Available. — The  demand  for  labor- 
ers in  farming  and  industrial  lines  has  been  generally 
cited  as  the  cause  for  the  scarcity  of  track  laborers. 
This  is  true,  but  not  the  whole  truth.  The  other  rail- 
road departments,  particularly  the  train  service,  com- 
pete for  the  intelligent  young  men  who  start  out  as 
track  laborers.  It  is  not  unusual  for  a  newly  hired 
brakeman  to  earn  $100,  or  even  more  per  month. 
Naturally  an  ambitious  and  intelligent  track  laborer, 
when  he  hears  of  the  wages  paid  the  brakemen,  will 
compare  them  with  his  wages,  or  with  the  wages  which 
a  seasoned  foreman  receives ;  and  most  of  the  men  will 
then  make  up  their  minds  to  get  into  the  operating 
department  at  the  earliest  possible  moment.  The 
track  laborer  does  not  consider  that  the  brakeman 
must  pay  his  own  expenses  while  on  the  road,  nor  does 
he  consider  the  danger  to  which  the  brakeman  is  ex- 
posed. 

One  roadmaster  states  that  he  has  found  the  scarcity 
of  section  foremen  to  be  partly  due  to  the  decrease  in 
construction  work.  Formerly  men  for  the  position  of 
section  foremen  were  obtained  in  considerable  meas- 
ure from  the  construction  forces,  and  of  course  the  de- 
crease in  construction  has  led  to  a  decrease  in  the  sup- 
ply from  this  source.  It  usually  takes  four  or  five 
years  for  a  track  laborer  to  become  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  track  work,  but  his  education  may  be 
much  hastened  if  he  is  transferred  frequently  and 
placed  where  experience  can  be  acquired  more  rapidly. 
The  track  foreman's  wages  are  not  high  enough. 
The  wages  of  a  foreman  of  an  outlying  section  where 
there  is  nothing  but  routine  work  are  somewhere  near 

41 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

what  they  should  be.  But  the  wages  of  the  foremen  of 
main  line  sections  and  yards  should  be  increased  ma- 
terially. The  track  foreman  is  responsible  for  alto- 
gether too  much  work  for  the  wages  which  are  paid, 
particularly  when  the  foremen  are  skilled  mechanics' 
ic  addition  to  being  foremen. 

One  reason  the  section  foreman's  position  is  un- 
attractive is  that  he  is  on  duty,  subject  to  call,  for  24 
hours  a  day  and  for  7  days  a  week.  Many  roads  do 
not  pay  a  foreman  for  overtime,  although  some  roads 
in  the  west  now  do.  It  is  manifestly  unfair  to  expect 
the  foremen  to  work  longer  than  10  hours  a  day,  with- 
out extra  pay,  even  if  his  wages  were  what  they  should 
be. 

Developing  Men  for  Foremen. — We  believe  that  in 
order  to  attract  men  to  the  track  department  it  will  be 
necessary  to  accord  them  better  treatment  than  has 
been  general  in  the  past,  and  offer  the  following  sug- 
gestions : 

(1)  Insist  that  the  section  foreman  be  treated  with 
more  respect — change  his  title  to  "track  foreman"  on 
account  of  the  odium  which  now  attaches  to  the  title 
"section  foreman." 

(2)  Provide   comfortable   habitations,   where   there 
are  no  houses  which  can  be  rented. 

(3)  Adopt  a  system  of  discipline  which  will  not  de- 
prive the  foreman  of  what  he  considers  to  be  his  right- 
ful independence. 

(4)  Hold  out  definite  possibilities  of  promotion  as 
vacancies  occur. 

(5)  Provide  instruction  in  track  work. 

(6)  Give  foremen  in  charge  of  more  important  sec- 

42 


DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN 

tions  or  larger  yards  higher  wages  than  paid  to  fore- 
men on  sections  requiring  only  routine  work. 

(7)  Hold  periodical  get-together  meetings  of  track 
men. 

(8)  Have  the  roadmaster  take  a  personal  interest 
not  only  in  his  foremen,  but  in  his  laborers. 

(9)  Grant  transportation  in  amounts  increasing  with 
length  of  service. 

(10)  Furnish  motor  cars,  if  possible. 

(11)  Provide  the  foremen  with  good  track  tools  and 
honor,  to  the  letter,  their  requisitions  for  new  tools  or 
materials  whenever  possible. 

(1)  The  Foreman's  Title. — Every  man  who  main- 
tains track  should  be  a  track  foreman  and  not  merely  a 
section  foreman.  A  well  rounded  track  foreman  should 
be  familiar  not  only  with  track  maintenance,  but  with 
track  construction.    Railway  managements  should  dis- 
courage or  absolutely  prohibit  the  employes  of  other 
departments  ridiculing  the  track  employes.     This  is 
one  of  the  worst  features  which  the  track  department 
has  to  combat. 

(2)  Track  Foremen's  Houses — Where  houses  are 
provided  by  the  company,  an  attempt  should  be  made 
to  make  them  not  only  comfortable  but  sufficiently  at- 
tractive to  make  the  foremen  satisfied  with  their  ap- 
pearance.   The  fact  should  not  be  lost  sight  of  that  the 
foreman's  house  must  be  a  fit  habitation  for  his  family, 
both  in  appearance  and  comfort. 

(3)  Discipline. — In  order  to  have  good  discipline  the 
responsibility  of  each  man  in  an  organization  must  be 
clearly  defined.      In   other  words   there   must   be   no 
division  of  responsibility,  so  that  a  dispute  might  arise 
as  to  the  authority  of  any  one  person.     By  carefully 

43 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

defining  a  man's  duties,  his  responsibility  is  increased 
and  he  is  made  to  realize  and  live  up  to  it  better. 

Of  course,  it  is  occasionally  necessary  to  discipline 
foremen,  but  it  is  assuredly  a  mistake  to  dismiss  an 
experienced  foreman  from  the  service  for  a  trivial 
offense.  Many  roads  have  adopted  a  system  (a  modifi- 
cation of  Brown's  method),  consisting  of  giving  the 
employes  reprimands,  merit  or  demerit  marks,  or  in 
extreme  cases  suspending  them.  The  combination  of 
reprimands  and  suspension,  with  dismissal  only  for  a 
very  serious  offense  which  indicates  that  dependance 
cannot  be  placed  upon  a  man  thereafter,  is  probably 
the  best.  Where  demerit  marks  are  given,  provision 
should  be  made  for  also  giving  merit  marks  so  that  a 
good  record  may  blot  out  a  bad  one. 

The  discharge  of  a  track  foreman  is  usually  more 
expensive  to  the  company  than  it  is  to  the  discharged 
employe,  because  it  disorganizes  the  work  and  takes 
from  it  a  man  who  is  familiar  with  the  peculiar  con- 
ditions in  the  territory.  Further,  a  man  must  have  a 
feeling  of  security  in  his  position  before  he  can  develop 
his  utmost  efficiency  and  capacity,  which  is  another 
reason  for  only  discharging  employes  when  absolutely 
necessary. 

In  order  to  be  able  to  discipline  his  laborers  correct- 
ly, the  foreman  must  be  given  complete  authority  over 
them ;  higher  officials  should  not  interfere.  The  road- 
master  should  have  complete  authority  over  his  fore- 
men without  interference  from  higher  officials.  This 
does  not  mean  that  those  higher  in  authority  should 
have  nothing  to  do  with  these  subordinates,  but  rather 
that  they  should,  wherever  possible,  give  all  orders 

44 


DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN 

through   the   roadmaster   and   foreman,   rather   than 
direct  to  laborers. 

(4)  Definite  Possibility  of  Promotion. — While  it  is 
not  possible  to  specify  when  a  man  can  expect  promo- 
tion to  track  foreman,  or  from  track  foreman  to  a  high- 
er position,  it  is  usually  possible  to  give  a  man  an  idea 
of  the  approximate  rotation  or  order  in  which  the  pro- 
motions will  be  made;  in  other  words,  it  is  usually 
possible  to  make  up  a  list  of  the  names  showing  the 
number  of  men  eligible  for  promotion  when  vacancies 
occur.    An  examination  in  track  work  and  on  the  rule 
book  should  be  required  and  where  possible  the  exam- 
ination should  be  competitive  and  promotions  made 
from  among  the  laborers  who  make  the  best  percent- 
ages.   A  record  should  be  kept  of  the  date  each  man 
enters  the  service,  in  order  to  determine  the  man's 
seniority,  and  whenever  a   laborer  fails   to  pass  an 
examination  he  should  be  given  a  chance  to  prepare 
himself  by  study  for  the  next  examination. 

(5)  Instruction. — If  practical   instruction   in   track 
work  is  provided  it  will  increase  the  possibility  of  the 
laborers'  or  foremen's  promotion,  and  it  will  also  in- 
crease the  ability  and  better  the  service  which  the  rail- 
way obtains  from  these  men.  The  greater  the  opportun- 
ities provided  the  easier  it  will  be  to  interest  the  kind 
of   men  who  will  make  good  foremen.     Instruction 
can  be  given  in  methods  of  doing  work  by  a  commit- 
tee of  roadmasters  or  by  the  roadmaster  himself;  it 
it  advisable  to  get  out  such  instructions  in  written 
form  so  that  the  men  can  take  their  leisure  time  to 
read  and  digest  them.    The  roadmaster,  or  other  men 
delegated  by  him,  should  keep  close  watch  of  tech- 
nical publications  and  pass  along  articles  of  education- 

45 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    MAINTENANCE 

al  value  to  the  foremen.  Foremen  should  also  be 
notified  concerning  any  books  which  will  be  a  prac- 
tical help.  This  display  of  interest  in  the  foremen 
will  result  in  increasing  their  interest  and  loyalty  to 
the  company  as  well  as  their  ability. 

(6)  Grading  Section  and  Yard  Jobs. — It  should  be 
possible  to  grade  the  salaries  paid  foremen,  from  rou- 
tine sections  to  large  yards,  so  that  a  man  may  have  a 
chance  of  increasing  his  wages  as  foreman  by  being 
transferred  from  section  to  section,  and  finally  to  the 
larger  yards.    This  method  would  provide  a  possibility 
of  promotion  even  before  a  vacancy  occurred  as  road- 
master.    The  step  from  section  foreman  of  an  ordinary 
outlying  section,  to  roadmaster,  is  a  long  one,  and  the 
foreman  is  likely  to  become  discouraged  before  his 
chance  of  promotion  comes.     A  promotion  from  sec- 
tion to  section,  even  though  the  increase  in  salary  is 
small,  will  help  to  keep  the  right  kind  of  men  in- 
terested. 

New  foremen  should  be  appointed  to  sections  where 
there  is  nothing  but  routine  work,  and  promotion  could 
be  made  to  sections  having  intermediate  yards,  then 
to  extra  gangs,  and  then  to  terminal  yards.  The  fore- 
man of  a  terminal  yard  has  the  most  difficult  position 
in  track  work,  with  the  exception  of  the  roadmaster. 
He  must  have  his  men  scattered  all  over  the  tracks, 
making  repairs  in  a  number  of  places  at  once,  and  his 
supervision  is  much  harder  than  with  an  extra  gang 
where  the  men  are  bunched. 

(7)  Periodical  Meetings. — Periodical  meetings  pro- 
mote a  spirit  of  interest  in  the  work  and  loyalty  to  the 
company.    Also,  valuable  information  can  be  obtained 
by  the  men  airing  their  views  and  giving  the  results 

46 


DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN 

of  their  experience.  It  is  a  big  problem,  however,  to 
get  the  track  men  to  talk  at  one  of  these  meetings. 
A  good  method  is  to  assign  the  foremen  in  rotation  to 
take  charge  of  the  meetings.  This  will  tend  to  put  the 
rest  of  the  men  at  their  ease.  Periodical  meetings, 
where  the  men  can  be  led  to  take  part,  will  increase 
each  man's  confidence  in  himself,  which  will  be  a  valu- 
able asset  when  he  is  promoted  to  a  higher  position. 
While  foremen  as  a  rule  are  shy  about  making  a  talk  in 
a  public  meeting,  it  is  usually  not  because  they  do  not 
wish  to  state  their  views,  but  because  they  are  afraid 
someone  will  find  fault  with  the  manner  in  which  they 
express  them.  When  beginning  these  meetings  it 
might  be  good  idea  to  require  each  foreman  to  hand 
in  his  opinions  in  written  form,  and  then  gradually 
work  up  to  the  point  where  the  men  will  feel  free  to 
speak  at  the  meetings. 

(8)  Personal  Contact  with  Foremen  and  Men. — The 
roadmaster  can  do  much  to  keep  his  foremen  satisfied 
by  taking  a  personal  interest,  not  only  in  their  work, 
but  in  their  personal  affairs  and  social  life.  One  road- 
master,  in  speaking  of  his  treatment  of  foremen,  says : 
"Nearly  every  man  we  have  as  laborer  considers  me 
his  personal  friend  and  I  never  visit  a  gang  that  I  do 
not  give  the  time  of  day  to  every  one,  calling  those 
whom  I  know  by  name.  I  do  not  encourage  familiar- 
ity or  nonsense,  and  although  I  have  charge  of  55 
miles  of  suburban  lines  and  gangs  scattered  all  around 
the  city,  and  have  to  be  on  the  road  all  the  time  to 
keep  in  close  touch  with  the  men,  still  I  am  able  to 
get  acquainted  with  this  large  force;  and  there  is  not 
a  man  on  the  road,  either  laborer  or  foreman,  whom 
we  refuse  to  help  in  time  of  sickness  or  trouble.  Cloth- 

47 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

ing,  food  or  medicine  will  be  supplied  to  tide  over  im- 
mediate needs.  I  take  care  of  this  personally  and 
have  lost  very  little  money  in  doing  so.  The  results 
of  this  treatment  may  be  summed  up  as  follows:  I 
have  nine  foremen,  the  oldest  being  in  the  service  24 
years,  one  18  years  and  one  16  years — all  but  two 
being  on  the  road  when  I  came,  one  of  these  having 
followed  me  from  the  East.  I  have  one  laborer  who 
has  been  with  us  5  years,  and  many  who  have  worked 
from  1  to  4  years.  The  backbone  of  our  forces  are 
men  of  from  1  to  5  years'  experience,  and  I  am  full 
handed  and  have  been  right  along." 

Getting  acquainted  with  the  laborers  will  often  bene- 
fit a  roadmaster  if  he  is  willing  to  receive  and  act  on 
suggestions  regarding  the  work.  Nearly  every  man 
has  a  hobby  of  some  kind  and  being  interested  in  a 
laborer's  life  study  will  make  him  a  friend  who  will  take 
more  than  a  merely  money-interest  in  his  work. 

(9)  Transportation. — As  mentioned  in  the  previous 
chapter,  free  transportation  should  be  provided  for 
track  men  and  foremen,  the  amount  and  territory 
covered  being  increased  as  service  with  the  company 
lengthens;  great  liberality  will  be  found  a  material 
aid  in  retaining  laborers  in  the  service.  Some  road- 
masters  grant  passes  with  an  air  of  granting  a  great 
favor — so  grudgingly  that  the  man  feels  indignant 
rather  than  grateful.  This  is  an  extremely  poor  policy 
and  counteracts  whatever  favorable  effect  the  giving 
of  the  pass  might  have. 

There  has  sometimes  seemed  to  be  a  good  deal  of 
favoritism  shown  in  granting  passes,  nearly  all  of  the 
other  departments  of  a  railroad  being  treated  more 
liberally  than  the  track  department.  This  discrimina- 

48 


DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN 

tion  has  a  very  bad  effect  and  cannot  be  too  highly 
condemned. 

(10)  Motor  Cars. — Furnishing  the  section  foreman 
with  a  motor  car  raises  his  position  from  that  of  an 
ordinary  drudge  to  one  who  is  looked  up  to  in  his  com- 
munity.   It  helps  the  foreman  hold  his  men  and  makes 
it  more  nearly  possible  for  him  to  keep  up  with  his 
work.    This,  in  turn,  helps  to  make  the  foreman  more 
contented  with  the  conditions  surrounding  his  work 
and  leads  him  to  put  forth  his  best  efforts  in  the  com- 
pany's interest. 

(11)  Tools. — More  attention  should  be  given  to  the 
requisitions  of  section  foremen,  both  as  to  tools  and 
materials.     This  will  increase  the  authority  and  re- 
sponsibility of  the  foreman,  and  ought  to  result  in  a 
lowered    ultimate    expense,    because    a    foreman    will 
naturally  buy  that  which  he  can  maintain  with  least  ex- 
pense.   No  one  is  able  to  judge  as  well  as  the  foreman 
just  what  service  is  being  given  by  the  different  tools 
and  appliances.    Appliances  which  reduce  the  amount 
of   disagreeable   or   arduous   work   will    increase   the 
satisfaction    among    laborers    and    foremen    and    will 
result  in  ultimate  economy. 

Miscellaneous. — Many  other  suggestions  have  been 
made  for  interesting  and  educating  men  for  track  fore- 
men. School  gangs  are  considered  of  value,  one  man 
having  suggested  that  the  gangs  should  consist  of 
twelve  to  twenty-five  men,  one-quarter  of  these  to  re- 
ceive $2.00  a  day,  one-eighth  $2.25  and  one-eighth 
$2.50.  The  foreman  should  receive  $125.00  per 
month  and  be  eligible  for  the  first  vacancy  as  road- 
master.  The  gang  should  be  sent  from  division  to 

49 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

division,  wherever  the  particular  work  in  progress 
would  give  the  men  a  chance  to  learn  the  most.  Men 
for  the  school  gang  should  be  taken  from  the  regu- 
lar section  gangs,  if  at  all  possible.  They  have  been 
used  to  hard  work  and  they  are  entitled  to  whatever 
opportunities  develop.  Where  it  is  impossible,  how- 
ever, to  obtain  men  with  the  desired  qualifications 
from  among  the  regular  employes,  an  attempt  should 
be  made  to  interest  men  of  intelligence,  first  to  be- 
come track  men,  and  later  to  be  put  in  the  school 
gang.  Accurate  records  should  be  kept  to  insure  that 
apprentices  are  promoted  in  proper  order. 

A  track  man  suggests  that  a  foreman  be  given 
a  bonus  when  he  has  developed  an  apprentice  to  a 
point  where  he  can  be  promoted  to  section  foreman. 
A  suggestion  has  also  been  made  that  the  length  of  sec- 
tions be  increased  in  order  to  give  a  foreman  a  larger 
gang  and  more  responsibility,  and  thus  enable  him 
to  earn  higher  wages.  Motor  cars  would  be  a  neces- 
sity if  this  suggestion  was  followed.  Another  ex- 
cellent suggestion  is  that  a  study  car  be  provided 
with  the  boarding  car  outfit  of  the  school  gang,  in 
which  periodicals  and  books  could  be  kept  for  the 
men  to  read  and  study  in  their  leisure  hours. 

On  the  Pennsylvania  there  is  a  class  of  men  who 
are  recommended  by  the  foreman  as  being  good  ma- 
terial to  be  educated,  and  these  men  are  transferred 
from  section  to  section  wherever  unusual  work  is 
encountered.  After  passing  an  examination  they  get 
the  title  of  emergency  foremen  and  are  eligible  to 
the  next  promotion  to  section  foreman. 

The  subject  of  hiring  outsiders  as  section  foremen 
has  already  been  touched  upon.  Andrew  Palm,  a  road- 

50 


DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN 

master  of  wide  experience,  has  the  following  to  say 
about  hiring  outsiders :  "Nothing  discourages  a  track- 
man more  than  to  have  a  man  placed  over  him 
whom  he  considers,  or  knows,  is  not  deserving  of 
the  position,  and  whose  only  recommendation  is  of  a 
personal  nature.  He  sees  that  his  years  of  meritorious 
service  amount  to  nothing.  New  men  coming  from 
other  railroads  are  given  the  positions  which  are  his 
by  every  right.  Nothing  but  gross  injustice  is  given 
him.  Can  we  demand  his  respect?  Certainly  not. 
We  cannot  expect  it  when  we  give  to  others  that 
which  he  has  rightfully  earned. 

"Let  us  assume  that  every  position,  from  laborer 
to  chief  engineer,  belongs  to  our  employes,  and  that 
no  outsiders  need  apply  except  to  take  a  position  at 
the  bottom  of  the  ladder  and  climb  up  on  merit,  and 
that  competitive  examinations  are  the  basis  of  pro- 
motions. Each  laborer  should  have  to  pass  a  cer- 
tain number  of  points  before  taking  the  first  step  in 
advance  and  prepare  himself  for  the  next  step  by 
practice  and  study.  It  should  be  impressed  upon  him 
that  his  success  depends  upon  his  endeavors  in  ac- 
quiring the  knowledge  to  guarantee  his  promotion. 
By  doing  so,  instead  of  reaping  less  than  half  a  crop 
on  stony  ground  after  many  years  of  toil  we  will 
reap  an  abundant  crop  from  fertile  soil." 

The  effect  of  allowing  graded  rates  of  wages,  on  the 
development  of  section  foremen,  has  already  been  dis- 
cussed. This  method,  or  the  method  of  having  one 
"leading  laborer"  at  a  higher  rate,  has  already  been 
tried  out  and  found  to  be  a  success.  The  principal 
difficulty  with  the  apprentice  system  has  been  to  ob- 
tain men  of  the  required  intelligence  as  apprentices. 

51 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

Some  roads  watch  the  young  fellows  who  are  em- 
ployed as  timekeepers  or  water  boys  during  school 
vacations.  The  roadmaster  and  foremen  then  select 
those  whom  it  is  thought  will  make  good  men  and  the 
roadmaster  has  a  talk  with  each  one  of  them,  giv- 
ing them  an  idea  of  the  opportunities,  and  making  each 
a  proposition  to  start  in  as  track  apprentice  as  soon 
as  his  schooling  is  finished.  This  method  has  proven 
a  success  and  is  in  quite  extensive  use. 

PRESENT  PRACTICE. 

On  the  Boston  &  Albany. — No  particular  method 
of  developing  track  laborers  into  foremen  is  followed 
on  this  road ;  but  a  general  supervision  is  kept  over 
all  laborers,  and  when  a  man  is  noticed  who  it  is 
thought  would  develop  into  a  good  man  for  such  a 
position,  he  is  looked  after  and  given  his  chance  and 
it  is  put  up  to  him  to  make  good.  There  is  no  in- 
struction course,  but  there  is  an  apprentice  arrange- 
ment in  every  gang  whereby  the  foreman  has  author- 
ity to  pay  one  man  more  than  the  regular  wages. 
The  section  foreman  is  obligated  to  give  this  position 
to  a  man  who  he  believes  can  be  developed  into  a 
foreman.  There  is  no  examination  before  promotion. 
The  supervisor  satisfies  himself  that  the  man  pre- 
senting himself  for  the  vacancy  is  capable  of  handling 
the  work — under  no  consideration  is  he  given  the  job 
unless  he  is  considered  capable  of  making  good. 
These  methods  have  been  in  vogue  for  about  five 
years  and  have  improved  the  working  conditions  of 
the  track  foremen  over  100  per  cent.  It  is  a  method 
which  is  adapted  to  a  small  road  like  the  Boston  & 
Albany  and  it  has  brought  the  section  foremen,  the 
better  class  of  section  men,  the  supervisors  and  the 

52 


DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN 

higher  officers  pretty  close  together  in  their  interests. 

On  the  New  York  Central. — The  apprentice  sys- 
tem has  been  developed  to  some  extent  on  the  New 
York  Central.  The  usual  procedure  is  to  pick  out 
some  young,  bright  fellow  in  the  section  gang  and 
after  he  has  been  thoroughly  trained,  to  give  him 
the  position  of  assistant  foreman.  After  he  has  had 
the  necessary  experience,  he  is  either  made  section 
foreman  or  assistant  foreman  of  an  extra  gang.  Such 
a  man  is  not  required  to  stay  in  either  position  any 
particular  length  of  time,  his  promotion  depending 
upon  the  vacancies  which  occur.  Examinations  on 
the  book  of  rules  are  given  before  promotion.  These 
methods  have  made  the  men  loyal  to  the  company  by 
assuring  them  steady  employment  and  promotion,  and 
this  loyalty  has  increased  the  reliability  of  the  force 
as  an  organization. 

On  the  Rock  Island. — The  Rock  Island  has  de- 
veloped a  track  apprentice  system  whereby  a  man 
is  guaranteed  work  the  year  around.  Apprentices 
are  started  at  a  salary  of  $45.00  per  month,  which  is 
later  increased  to  $50.00.  When  an  apprentice  has 
reached  this  point  he  is  considered  competent  to  take 
care  of  a  section  or  extra  gang,  the  pay  in  such  posi- 
tions ranging  from  $65.00  to  $90.00  per  month.  Road- 
masters  are  obtained  from  among  these  foremen.  The 
foremen  are  checked  up  pretty  closely  and  if  they 
do  not  do  satisfactory  work  they  are  released  and 
other  men  appointed  in  their  places.  Apprentices 
are  selected  from  the  brightest  men  obtainable,  young 
engineers  and  college  men  sometimes  being  employed 
in  this  capacity.  They  work  under  the  instruction 
of  a  section  foreman,  take  charge  of  the  section  ac- 

53 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

counts,  are  brought  into  the  roadmaster's  office  and 
instructed  in  regard  to  the  office  details  connected 
with  these  accounts,  and  in  any  other  required  sub- 
jects. No  promotional  examinations  are  held,  the 
men  simply  being  advanced  to  the  position  of  sec- 
tion foreman  when  the  roadmaster  feels  they  are  com- 
petent. 

There  is  no  question  of  the  value  of  the  apprentice 
system  but  there  is  some  difficulty  in  getting  men 
of  the  right  caliber  interested.  On  account  of  the 
low  salaries  paid,  it  is  only  possible  to  keep  men  in- 
terested who  appreciate  the  value  of  the  experience 
and  who  are  willing  to  work  for  promotion,  not  only 
to  section  foreman,  but  to  roadmaster  and  higher  posi- 
tions. The  full  benefit  of  the  apprentice  system  is 
therefore  not  obtained  because  the  salaries  at  the 
beginning  are  low. 

On  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio. — The  positipn  of  leading 
laborer  and  of  assistant  foreman  at  a  higher  rate  than 
paid  the  balance  of  the  gang  is  held  out  as  an  induce- 
ment for  the  men  to  remain  with  the  company  and 
seek  advancement.  The  company  is  ready  to  recog- 
nize industry  and  merit  in  the  laborer  and  promote 
him  to  these  higher  positions  and  from  these  he  can 
be  promoted  to  foreman,  supervisor  and  general  super- 
visor. 

There  is  no  regular  form  of  apprenticeship  or  in- 
struction, other  than  the  apprenticeship  and  practical 
instruction  the  men  get  in  the  positions  of  leading 
laborer  and  assistant  foreman.  It  is  the  rule  for  super- 
visor and  foreman  to  carefully  select  the  men  for  these 
positions  from  the  promising  young  men  in  the  gang. 
In  these  positions  the  men  are  especially  instructed 
by  the  foreman  in  the  details  of  the  work.  They  are 

54 


DEVELOPING  TRACK  FOREMEN 

trained  to  handle  men  by  being  assigned  to  super- 
vision of  a  portion  of  the  gang  over  particular  details. 
As  a  man  shows  capacity  for  increased  responsibility 
he  is  promoted  to  the  position  of  assistant  foreman  in 
an  extra  gang  and  drilled  in  the  work  of  laying  rail, 
ballasting,  ditching,  etc.  It  is  from  among  these  lead- 
ing laborers  that  assistant  section  foremen  and  extra 
gang  foremen  are  selected.  Where  it  can  be  done  the 
extra  gang  foremen  are  selected  from  among  the  reg- 
ular section  foremen.  The  men  are  gauged  for  pro- 
motion by  the  ability  shown  in  the  handling  of  the 
work  assigned  them  and  not  by  the  examination  test. 
This  method  of  selection,  instruction,  development 
and  promotion  of  men  through  the  test  of  practical 
achievement,  assures  that  those  with  the  requisite 
practical  knowledge  of  the  work  and  known  ability 
as  leaders  will  be  chosen.  These  two  qualities  in  the 
men  holding  supervisory  positions,  supplemented  by 
a  careful  study  of  economical  methods,  raises  the 
standard  of  the  work  and  increases  the  efficiency  of 
the  working  organization.  It  is  thought  that  still 
further  improvement  in  the  method  might  be  accom- 
plished by  a  more  elaborate  system  of  preliminary 
instruction,  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  shop  appren- 
ticeship. However,  the  rather  violent  fluctuations  in 
the  appropriations  for  track  forces  makes  steady  em- 
ployment uncertain.  This  robs  it  of  any  strong  in- 
ducement that  it  can  offer  to  the  more  enterprising 
and  leads  to  the  belief  that  any  young  man  who  has 
the  ability  and  persistence  to  undertake  and  complete 
an  elaborate  apprenticeship  course  in  this  class  of 
work  would  not  long  continue  at  it,  but  would  find 
more  attractive  employment  elsewhere. 

55 


CHAPTER  III. 

HANDLING  LABORERS  OF  DIFFERENT  NATION- 
ALITIES. 

A  foreman  should  have  patience  and  perseverance. 
He  should  be  a  student  of  human  nature,  have  the 
ability  to  recognize  the  characteristics  of  different 
nationalities,  and  individuals  among  the  same  na- 
tionality, and  to  use  these  characteristics  to  the  best 
advantage.  If,  in  addition,  the  foreman  has  the  char- 
acteristics of  a  good  salesman — the  ability  to  make 
friends  and  make  people  like  and  respect  him — he  has 
an  added  asset.  The  foreman  should  not  become  too 
intimate  with  a  gang  of  men  of  any  nationality;  to  do 
so  will  destroy  discipline. 

The  Hobo  Laborer — Outside  of  the  American  or 
northern  European  trackmen  who  used  to  be  avail- 
able for  section  work,  the  American  hobo  is  conceded 
to  be  the  best  all  around  trackman.  Even  hobo  labor, 
as  a  class,  has  deteriorated  in  recent  years  and  it  is 
seldom  that  one  finds  a  real  "old-timer"  among  the 
many  men  who  are  now  sent  out  on  railway  construc- 
tion work. 

The  hobo  always  demanded  considerate  treatment 
from  the  foreman;  and  a  foreman  could  come  nearer 
treating  such  men  as  equals  than  he  could  men  of  foreign 
nationalities.  It  is  a  much  easier  and  pleasanter  job 
to  handle  men  who  not  only  understand  the  Eng- 
lish language  but  who  understand  track  work  thor- 
oughly. And  it  is  not  an  unusual  case  for  the  hobo 
laborers  to  know  more  about  putting  in  switches,  for 

56 


HANDLING     LABORERS 


instance,  than  the  foreman  they  are  working  for,  since 
many  of  these  men  follow  track  and  switch  construc- 
tion work  exclusively  and  obtain  a  wide  experience 
by  working  on  many  railways. 

The  outstanding  characteristic  of  the  old-time  hobo 
is  his  pride — the  feeling  that  no  man  in  the  gang  can 
do  more  or  better  work  than  he  can.  This  character- 
istic can  be  used  to  great  advantage  in  organizing  the 
gang,  arranging  the  different  groups  so  that  the  work 
of  each  man  will  be  measured  by  that  of  several  others 
in  the  same  group.  This  not  only  increases  the  amount 
of  work  done,  but  it  distributes  the  work  of  the  labor- 
ers so  that  the  whole  job  is  more  uniform. 

The  whole  secret  of  handling  a  gang  of  hobo  labor- 
ers is  to  get  them  organized  right.  In  other  words, 
if  the  men  are  placed  at  the  kind  of  work  to  which 
they  are  best  adapted  and  at  which  they  have  had  the 
most  experience,  the  work  of  the  gang  will  move  along 
smoothly  and  uniformly,  provided  the  foreman  has 
had  enough  experience  to  command  the  respect  of  the 
men  and  then  handles  them  considerately. 

The  great  drawback  is  the  fact  that  hobo  laborers 
cannot  be  depended  upon,  especially  after  having  a 
pay  day,  and  the  further  fact  that  the  men  always  have 
some  grievances  concerning  the  board,  the  work,  the 
boarding  boss  or  some  other  official,  and  trump  up 
various  excuses  for  frequently  quitting  work  and  draw- 
ing their  pay.  For  this  reason  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  keep  a  gang  permanently  employed  and  many 
changes  are  made  in  the  forces  each  month.  This 
means  that  there  is  frequent,  costly  reorganization 
of  the  gang,  whereas  with  most  foreigners,  after  the 

57 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

men  are  once  organized  they  can  be  depended  to  re- 
main for  a  good  deal  longer  time. 

Good  board  is  a  very  essential  requirement  for  hold- 
ing a  gang  of  hobo  laborers.  Many  contractors  fur- 
nish the  board  for  the  men  and  provide  good  food  in 
plenty,  often  losing  money  on  the  boarding  camp,  but 
making  it  up  through  the  greater  amount  of  labor 
which  they  obtain  from  the  men. 

When  a  foreman  is  organizing  a  gang,  it  will  do 
him  little  good  to  ask  for  men  who  are  good  spikers, 
good  bolters,  etc.  It  is  best  for  him  to  assign  different 
men  to  the  kind  of  work  he  wants  them  to  do,  and  if 
they  are  not  experts  they  can  be  changed  later.  The 
foreman  who  asks  a  man  if  he  can  spike  is  considered 
to  have  shown  his  weakness  and  probably  will  be  un- 
able to  maintain  discipline  and  get  fair  work  out  of  the 
gang. 

It  is  the  usual  thing  for  the  hobos  to  complain  of  the 
board  furnished  at  a  railway  camp,  but  it  is  a  notable 
fact  that  they  have  very  little  to  say  about  the  board 
furnished  by  contractors  who  run  their  own  boarding 
camps.  One  roadmaster  made  it  a  rule  not  to  allow 
the  hobos  to  make  complaints  except  when  they  were 
at  the  tables ;  then  he  made  it  a  rule  to  go  through  the 
cars  at  meal  time  once  a  week  to  listen  to  and  investi- 
gate complaints.  In  this  way  it  was  easy  to  check  up 
unsatisfactory  conditions;  this  plan  proved  to  be  a 
benefit  to  both  the  hobo  and  to  the  camp. 

The  advantages  of  using  hobo  laborers  are:  they 
speak  English,  are  familiar  with  the  work,  talk  less 
while  at  work  and  cause  less  trouble  than  foreigners. 
The  disadvantages  of  this  class  of  labor  are  the  re- 
fusal of  the  men  to  work  at  certain  kinds  of  jobs  and 

58 


HANDLING    LABORERS 


their  roving  disposition  which  makes  it  impossible 
to  depend  on  them  to  be  on  the  work  from  day  to  day. 
Pay  day  is  the  hobo's  Waterloo  and  it  is  the  usual 
thing  to  lose  a  large  part  of  the  gang  as  soon  as  the 
men  receive  their  pay  checks. 

While  a  foreman  must  understand  hobos  and  must 
be  experienced  in  track  work  to  command  their  re- 
spect, the  hobos  do  not  expect  the  foreman  to  know 
everything  about  track  work.  If  they  take  a  liking  to 
a  foreman  they  will  suggest  quicker  and  better  ways 
of  doing  things,  ideas  which  they  have  gathered  from 
wide  experience. 

The  Italian  Laborer — Frequently  Italian  laborers 
are  looked  upon  by  foremen  as  being  tricky  and  treach- 
erous— in  fact  as  poor  material  out  of  which  to  make 
trackmen.  Frequently  these  are  not  the  character- 
istics of  the  gang  but  rather  of  the  leader,  the  inter- 
preter or  whoever  it  may  be,  because  the  laborers  see 
things  through  his  eyes.  There  are  among  Italians, 
as  in  other  nationalities,  men  who  are  tricky  and  look- 
ing for  every  chance  to  slight  the  work.  On  the 
other  hand  there  are  many  Italians  who  make  good 
trackmen ;  and  if  trained  rightly  some  of  them  become 
almost  as  adept  with  track  tools  as  the  hobo  laborer. 

Probably  the  strongest  characteristic  of  the  race  is 
thrift.  Italians  have  a  natural  tendency  to  sacrifice 
everything  to  the  accumulation  of  wealth,  some  even 
going  so  far  as  to  partially  starve  themselves  in  order 
to  save  money,  with  the  intention  of  returning  to  their 
native  country  to  spend  their  declining  years.  But  a 
good  many  Italians  are  becoming  Americanized  and 
have  adapted  standards  of  living  equal  to  those  of 
American-born  laborers.  These  men  make  good  citi- 

59 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

zens,  provide  themselves  with  all  of  the  comforts  and 
many  of  the  luxuries  of  life,  and  give  their  children  a 
good  education.  The  better  men  among  the  Italians 
are  found  to  be  faithful,  loyal,  steady  and  sober,  honest 
in  paying  their  debts  and  appreciative  of  any  kindness 
shown  them. 

In  starting  a  green  gang  of  Italians  at  track  work, 
the  foreman  must  exercise  the  greatest  patience,  it 
being  necessary  to  show  one  man  over  and  over  again 
just  how  to  handle  the  different  tools.  The  Italians 
are  very  well  versed  in  the  use  of  the  shovel,  as  it  is 
the  tool  which  is  used  in  Italy  and  one  which  many  of 
them  are  used  to  earning  their  living  with.  They  ex- 
perience their  greatest  difficulty  in  learning  to  use  the 
other  track  tools.  After  they  get  used  to  them,  how- 
ever, they  become  adept,  as  they  are  naturally  quick. 
Some  of  the  best  spikers,  in  fact  some  of  the  best  track 
gangs,  to  be  found  are  Italians.  With  a  green  gang 
it  is  a  pretty  difficult  job  to  put  in  a  switch ;  and  even 
with  a  gang  which  has  been  well  trained  and  can  use 
the  tools  correctly,  some  difficulty  is  experienced. 
Frequently  this  is  due  to  unfamiliarity  with  the  struc- 
ture of  the  switch,  however,  and  not  to  stupidity  or 
unwillingness.  The  spikers  in  a  green  gang  are  likely 
to  be  found  spiking  the  switch  point  down  solid,  trying 
to  gauge  the  wrong  rail,  or  doing  other  things  equally 
as  ridiculous. 

The  great  objection  to  Italians  is  that  the  new 
emigrants,  or  those  who  expect  to  return  to  the  old 
country,  are  inefficient  both  physically  and  mentally, 
as  they  do  not  feed  themselves  well  enough  to  sustain 
their  strength.  Such  a  gang  of  green  Italians  is  also 
inclined  to  be  disloyal  to  the  foreman  and  to  shirk 

60 


HANDLING     LABORERS 


work  by  pretending  not  to  understand.  It  is  difficult 
to  get  small  gangs  for  sections  because  they  are  clan- 
nish and  do  not  wish  to  separate. 

The  advantages  of  Italians  for  track  laborers  are 
that  they  can  be  depended  upon  to  put  in  full  time  and 
if  they  make  up  their  minds  to  stay  in  this  country, 
they  can  be  developed  into  good  trackmen.  In  fact 
there  are  many  Italian  section  foremen  now,  giving 
efficient  and  loyal  service,  and  these  have  been  devel- 
oped largely  without  paying  any  particular  attention 
to  their  education.  It  is  certain  that  if  a  greater  at- 
tempt was  made  to  interest  these  men  into  training 
for  a  position  as  section  foreman,  that  they  would  be 
better  laborers  and  better  able  to  become  track  fore- 
men when  vacancies  occur.  Italians  as  a  rule  do  not 
use  intoxicating  liquors,  but  are  fond  of  beer.  They 
are  seldom  incapacitated  for  work  on  account  of  a 
Sunday  or  holiday  spree,  which  objection  can  be 
urged  against  other  types  of  foreigners. 

Pole  and  Slav  Laborers — The  Poles  and  Slavs  are 
robust  and  as  a  race  are  possibly  more  inclined  to  treat 
their  stomachs  properly  than  are  the  Italians,  and  are 
therefore  usually  able  to  perform  heavy  work.  They 
are  particularly  efficient  in  large  gangs  and  for  hand- 
dling  heavy  material  such  as  rails,  timbers,  etc.  They 
are  not  inclined  to  talk  freely  while  at  work  and  will 
produce  a  fair  day's  work  if  properly  treated.  Under  a 
good  Polish  foreman  they  make  good  trackmen.  They 
learn  quickly  and  many  of  them  have  become  section 
foremen. 

They  are  law  abiding,  and  good  men  for  emergencies 
such  as  for  fighting  snow,  working  in  the  rain,  etc. 
A  good  foreman  can  get  a  lot  of  work  out  of  them, 

61 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

particularly  if  he  takes  pains  to  explain  just  why  work 
is  done  in  certain  ways ;  given  a  chance  to  learn,  their 
interest  is  aroused.  The  extra  gangs  are  usually  quite 
contented,  because  they  do  not  have  that  source  of 
trouble,  the  gang  leader;  and  they  are  not  clannish. 
They  do  not  submit  easily  to  driving  but  may  be  led 
to  do  a  good  day's  work.  They  work  with  double 
energy  if  promised  a  little  time  off  at  the  end  of  a  job. 
For  this  reason  it  is  a  good  thing  to  line  off  or  lay 
out  the  day's  work  and  tell  them  that  when  done, 
they  may  knock  off  for  the  day.  In  this  way  it  is 
possible  to  get  much  work  out  of  them  and  to  shorten 
up  the  day  considerably. 

They  are  capable  of  being  very  thoroughly  organized 
and  after  a  man  has  been  assigned  his  particular  work, 
he  stays  at  it  without  much  further  attention  from  the 
foreman.  They  become  adept  at  track  and  switch 
work  if  pains  are  taken  to  instruct  them  and  to  explain 
the  reasons  for  every  step  in  a  job.  They  are  not  very 
quarrelsome  and  are  possibly  more  easily  handled  than 
Italians.  Where  they  are  located  remote  from  a  city, 
rather  than  furnish  their  own  board,  they  prefer  to 
obtain  it  at  the  house  of  a  Polish  family ;  but  they  will 
board  anywhere  that  they  can  obtain  good,  substantial 
food. 

Austrian  Laborers — Austrians  resemble  Poles  to 
some  extent  but  they  are  even  more  robust.  Even 
the  slightest  built  of  these  laborers  is  able  to  stand 
hard  work.  It  is  not  an  unusual  sight  to  see  a  medium- 
sized  gang  of  these  men  throw  a  rail  clear  across  a 
flat  car  and  onto  the  ground.  They  will  do  this  just 
to  show  how  strong  they  are  and  a  foreman  who  com- 
pliments them  and  flatters  them  on  their  strength  can 

62 


HANDLING    LABORERS 


get  a  great  deal  of  work  out  of  them.  They  resent 
"driving"  and  are  adapted  to  heavy  work,  handling 
timbers,  etc.,  and  to  surfacing  rather  than  to  building 
track  and  switches.  They  have  a  failing  for  strong 
alcoholic  liquors,  sometimes  appearing  on  the  job  in- 
capacitated for  work.  They  usually  board  themselves 
and  provide  nourishing  and  strength-giving  foods 
without  stint. 

Macedonian  Laborers — Macedonians  make  good 
track  laborers  because  they  have  peaceful  dispositions 
and  are  naturally  inclined  to  respect  the  authority  of 
the  foreman.  They  are  rather  hard  to  teach,  it  being 
particularly  hard  for  them  to  become  adept  in  the  use 
of  the  shovel  for  tamping  or  even  for  excavating.  This 
is  because  they  are  not  accustomed  to  using  shovels  in 
their  native  country.  They  are  conscientious  and 
loyal  and  are,  in  general,  better  men  to  have  in  iso- 
lated places  than  Italians  or  Bulgarians,  or  other 
nationalities  which  submit  to  the  leadership  of  an  in- 
terpreter. Macedonian  men  make  good  assistant  fore- 
men. They  keep  the  men  in  good  spirits  and  yet  get 
a  good  day's  work  out  of  them.  They  make  good 
trackmen  and  are  as  dependable  as  American  foremen 
as  far  as  their  knowledge  goes. 

Bulgarian  Laborers — Bulgarian  laborers  resemble 
the  Italians  somewhat  in  that  they  are  usually  entire- 
ly under  the  control  of  an  interpreter.  They  are  likely 
to  band  together  to  resist  .the  foreman's  authority ;  not 
openly,  but  in  such  a  way  that  it  is  hard  for  the  fore- 
man to  discover  the  man  or  men  who  are  holding  back 
the  work.  Even  with  such  a  gang,  however,  if  the 
foreman  keeps  at  it  and  presses  them  constantly  with 
the  idea  of  getting  out  a  good  day's  work,  they  will 

63 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

gradually  improve.  They  are  not  as  loyal  and  easy 
to  handle  as  other  types  of  foreigners ;  are  not  so  thor- 
ough and  usually  seem  to  care  little  about  the  amount 
of  work  done. 

In  small  section  gangs  they  can  be  handled  much 
easier  than  in  large  extra  gangs,  for  the  smaller  gangs 
have  no  interpreter.  They  like  to  board  themselves 
and  are  not  inclined  to  stint  the  quality  and  quantity 
of  food.  The  Bulgarians  as  a  whole,  are  an  unde- 
sirable class  of  men  to  train  for  trackmen. 

Negro  Laborers — A  negro  has  no  initiative  and  is 
very  improvident.  If  he  gets  $2.00  ahead,  he  must  stop 
and  draw  his  pay  and  spend  it.  It  is  best  to  hire  men 
with  families  for  section  work  and  to  allow  them  a 
garden  on  the  right  of  way ;  the  women  cultivate  the 
garden.  Some  railroads  have  found  it  advantageous 
to  enclose  the  ground  assigned  to  them  with  woven 
wire  fences,  and  to  provide  every  possible  convenience 
which  will  help  to  keep  them  permanently  at  one  loca- 
tion. 

The  negro  has  the  intellect  of  a  child  and  must  be 
treated  accordingly.  The  foreman  must  be  an  abso- 
lute despot  and  allow  no  arguments,  otherwise  the 
gang  will  cease  to  respect  him.  Negroes  frequently 
get  into  difficulties  with  officers  of  the  law,  and  a  pop- 
ular foreman  will  bail  them  out  and  take  installments 
to  get  his  money  back.  The  ability  to  borrow  a  dollar 
is  a  big  inducement  and  helps  the  foreman  materially 
in  keeping  his  gang. 

Usually  it  is,  necessary  to  maintain  ^  company  com- 
missary train  which  issues  food,  shoes,  clothes,  to- 
bacco, etc.  This  is  a  very  popular  feature  with  the 
negroes.  They  do  not  consider  that  the  amount  is 

64 


HANDLING     LABORERS 


to  be  deducted  from  their  pay  but  it  seems  to  them 
as  if  everything  which  comes  from  the  commissary 
car  is  free. 

More  work  can  be  obtained  from  negro  section  men 
than  from  extra  gang  laborers,  but  even  the  section 
laborer  will  divide  his  time  between  the  railway,  farm- 
ing and  loafing,  so  that  the  total  amount  of  work  got- 
ten out  of  him  on  -the  railway  is  not  very  great. 

The  extra  gang  men  shift  from  gang  to  gang,  but 
stick  at  railroading.  The  men  flock  to  the  foreman 
who  is  popular — his  reputation  travels  over  the  whole 
district.  The  negro  must  have  his  day  off  frequently 
to  spend  his  money.  A  pass  makes  him  an  important 
man  among  his  neighbors,  so  that  occasional  free 
transportation  is  a  great  inducement  for  the  negro  to 
stay  on  the  job. 

The  best  results  are  obtained  under  the  stimulus  of 
the  active  leadership  of  his  white  superior,  as  the  negro 
does  not  want  to  be  considered  deficient  physically. 
If  he  is  kept  well  fed  and  housed  he  is  contented. 
Rations  in  plenty  are  a  very  great  incentive  for  him 
to  remain  on  the  job ;  he  never  thinks  of  providing  for 
the  future. 

The  negroes  do  best  in  small  gangs.  The  men  work 
in  unison,  the  leader  singing  and  the  others  grunting 
an  accompaniment.  When  a  gang  is  quiet  there  is 
something  wrong;  they  should  be  kept  laughing  and 
singing  in  order  to  obtain  the  best  results. 

The  negro  likes  big  jobs  and  is  not  thorough  and 
painstaking  in  small  ones.  He  has  the  strength  and 
courage  for  heavy  work.  After  a  gang  is  organized 
the  men  will  continue  working  as  placed  and  are  easily 
supervised,  provided  the  foreman  has  their  respect. 

65 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

It  takes  a  good  foreman  and  a  good  cook  to  hold 
a  gang  of  negroes.  The  foreman  must  enforce  strict 
discipline,  be  fair  and  just,  and  keep  the  laborers  im- 
pressed with  the  fact  that  they  are  negroes.  Familiar- 
ity with  the  men  will  soon  destroy  the  foreman's  con- 
trol over  them.  The  negro  is  very  susceptible  to  flat- 
tery, is  faithful  and  loyal  and  becomes  attached  to  the, 
foreman  whom  he  respects,  and  his'  word  becomes  law. 
While  he  has  little  initiative  he  is  a  good  imitator. 

The  loud-talking  foreman  who  shouts  his  orders 
but  is  firm  in  insisting  on  obedience  is  usually  the 
most  popular  with  these  men.  The  straw-boss,  or 
unison  man,  has  a  different  rhyme  for  each  kind  of 
work,  and  the  men  understand  from  the  tune  which 
he  sings  the  kind  of  work  that  they  are  going  to  do, 
and -this  helps  eliminate  personal  injuries.  The  fore- 
man must  understand  every  bit  of  the  work  and  be 
expert  in  handling  this  kind  of  labor,  and  must  always 
treat  the  men  as  a  master  does  his  servants,  otherwise 
he  cannot  hold  their  respect.  The  negro  is  childlike 
in  obedience  to  the  foreman  he  fears,  and  loves  and 
respects  him.  Furthermore,  he  will  work  in  summer 
or  winter  weather,  rain  or  shine,  though  sometimes 
the  foreman  has  to  go  into  the  camp  and  drive  him 
out  with  a  club. 

The  Mexican  Laborer — The  Mexicans  make  good 
track  laborers  and  give  satisfactory  results,  as  is  proven 
by  the  great  demand  for  them.  They  are  intelligent 
and  versatile,  but  untutored.  The  system  under  which 
they  have  been  raised  dwarfs  their  sense  of  responsi- 
bility, and  although  they  are  obedient  they  must  be 
told  every  move  to  make.  They  carry  out  the  most 
exacting  details  satisfactorily  under  supervision,  but 

66 


HANDLING     LABORERS 


not  if  left  alone.  They  are  peaceable  under  normal 
conditions ;  even  the  pay  day  spree  is  usually  peaceful. 
Mexicans  are  merely  grown  up  children,  and  after 
they  have  been  in  track  work  in  the  United  States, 
where  they  see  good  examples,  some  of  the  best 
amongst  them  will  gradually  quit  their  pay  day  sprees 
and  become  steady  citizens. 

The  employer  must  provide  for  their  physical  wants, 
as  they  are  unable  to  do  so  themselves.  They  have 
no  business  honor — they  have  not  been  trained  to 
know  what  it  means — and  think  it  no  discredit  to  avoid 
paying  their  bills.  For  this  reason  the  foreman  must 
always  give  security  for  them  before  they  can  buy 
anything  on  credit.  This  has  necessitated  a  sort  of  pro- 
tective commissary  which  it  is  not  possible  to  keep 
entirely  free  from  graft.  The  Mexican  has  no  sense 
of  provision  for  the  future  and  uses  up  everything  he 
makes  as  he  goes  along. 

They  are  loyal  to  their  superiors,  in  general,  and 
if  given  food  and  coffee  and  not  taken  advantage  of, 
they  will  work  almost  any  number  of  consecutive  hours 
for  a  foreman  whom  they  respect,  without  driving. 
The  foreman  must  expect  to  find  them  untutored  and 
unlearned,  and  vast  patience  must  be  exercised  in  giv- 
ing them  detailed  explanations  of  how  work  should  be 
done.  The  foieman  should  know  the  Mexican  lan- 
guage to  handle  the  men  right;  they  will  not  tolerate 
abusive  language,  but  if  treated  well  will  be  the  fore- 
man's loyal  subjects. 

It  takes  them  two  weeks  or  more  to  get  fed  up  after 
coming  from  Mexico,  after  which  they  are  more  capa- 
ble of  doing  a  man's  work.  The  married  men  are 
loyal  to  their  families.  They  are  susceptible  to  flat- 

67 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

tery.  Frequently  when  they  strike  they  will  leave  if 
the  demands  they  have  made  are  granted,  while  if  they 
are  no.t  granted  they  are  just  as  likely  to  return  to 
work.  Many  times  they  strike  and  can't  give  reasons 
for  doing  so.  A  good  company  commissary  is  a  very 
important  thing  in  holding  this  class  of  laborers. 

The  Hindoo  Laborer — The  Hindoo  laborers  are  not 
strong  or  robust  but  they  learn  easily  and  quickly. 
They  soon  come  to  understand  the  English  language 
and  are  quite  reliable  even  when  not  under  direct 
supervision.  They  do  as  they  are  told,  never  find 
fault  and  are  generally  very  easy  to  get  along  with. 
As  a  class  they  are  too  tall  to  use  the  pick  and  shovel 
most  effectively.  They  generally  prefer  contract  work 
to  track  work. 

They  keep  their  habitations  in  good  sanitary  condi- 
tion, never  appear  on  the  work  intoxicated  nor  do 
they  smoke  on  the  work.  They  have  very  peaceable 
natures  and  do  but  little  talking  when  working.  Their 
gangs  do  not  contain  agitators.  They  are  fatalists 
and  will  go  into  dangerous  places  where  other  men 
refuse  to  go,  and  will  work  long  hours  when  requested 
to  by  a  foreman  they  like.  They  have  many  fast-days 
which  leave  them  weak.  They  are  dishonest  with  one 
another  and  consider  that  stealing  is  no  crime.  They 
seem  to  have  a  distaste  for  track  work,  but  a  foreman 
who  gives  them  instructions  carefully  can  do  very 
well  with  them. 

The  Japanese  Laborer — The  Japanese  are  ambitious 
and  intelligent,  and  are  easily  instructed  because  their 
minds  are  receptive.  It  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  in- 
structions as  often  to  this  class  of  labor  as  with  most 
other  foreigners.  They  are  sensitive  by  nature  and 

68 


HANDLING     LABORERS 


are  cleanly  and  sanitary  in  their  habits  and  habita- 
tions. While  they  are  small  in  stature,  they  are  robust 
and  have  great  vitality.  They  make  good  ballasting 
gangs,  each  man  being  capable  of  about  the  same 
amount  of  work  as  the  others.  They  are  very  thor- 
ough with  whatever  they  undertake.  They  soon  mas- 
ter the  English  language,  a  great  many  of  them  mak- 
ing it  a  rule  to  learn  three  new  English  words  each 
day. 

They  are  temperate,  seldom  drinking  to  excess. 
They  provide  themselves  with  nourishing  food,  about 
one-half  of  their  food  being  rice,  the  other  half  being 
other  cereals  and  vegetables.  The  only  trouble  with 
them  comes  through  gamblers  who  are  brought  in 
by  the  interpreters.  These  men  frequently  cheat  the 
laborers  out  of  all  the  money  they  have  left  after  pay 
day ;  this  is  usually  made  possible  by  the  co-operation 
of  the  interpreter  who  tells  the  men  that  they  must 
gamble  or  lose  their  jobs.  When  these  leaches  are 
in  the  gang  it  is  almost  impossible  to  get  good  work 
out  of  the  men  or  to  keep  them  contented. 

They  dislike  to  work  for  a  foreman  of  any  other 
nationality  than  English  or  Canadian.  If  they  are 
treated  considerately  they  can  be  educated  quickly, 
though  occasionally  a  stubborn  gang  is  encountered. 
A  gang  of  this  kind  should  be  discharged  because  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  ever  do  anything  with  them. 

Most  of  the  Japanese,  however,  are  loyal  to  a  fore- 
man who  is  considerate  of  their  welfare.  The  Jap- 
anese make  good  foremen  themselves,  but  have  to  be 
educated  in  tact  and  discipline.  Probably  four-fifths 
of  the  laborers  will  make  good  foremen  if  they  are 
given  a  good  course  of  training  under  a  practical  man. 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

The  Union  Pacific  has  a  Japanese  school  gang,  con- 
sisting of  men  who  signify  their  intention  of  becom- 
ing foremen,  and  these  men  take  up  track  work  very 
rapidly  and  make  excellent  foremen.  They  are  good 
scholars  and  master  details  quickly,  have  a  sense  of 
duty  and  very  seldom  repeat  an  error.  After  a  Jap 
becomes  a  foreman  he  is  capable  of  handling  almost 
any  nationality 

Conclusions — The  writer  has  found  many  who  dis- 
agree as  to  the  characteristics  of  different  classes  of 
laborers  as  described  in  the  foregoing.  If  anyone  has 
taken  up  the  subject  he  will  realize  the  great  difficulty 
in  gathering  opinions  on  such  a  subject  and  making 
them  agree.  Disagreements  will  be  noted  in  the 
opinions  of  two  men  on  the  same  railway  on  adjacent 
territories,  regarding  the  characteristics  of  a  particular 
nationality,  it  being  not  infrequent  to  find  statements 
from  such  men  which  are  directly  contrary  and  con- 
flicting. 

This  is  explainable  only  by  the  fact  that  there  is  a 
difference  among  people  of  the  same  nationality  and 
among  gangs  of  the  same  nationality.  Doubtless  there 
are  many  good  gangs  of  every  one  of  the  nationalities 
considered  and  poor  ones  also,  so  that  it  is  hardly  pos- 
sible that  everyone  will  agree  with  the  opinions  ex- 
pressed herein.  An  attempt  was  made,  however,  to 
obtain  opinions  from  every  possible  source  on  this  sub- 
ject and  it  is  the  opinions  of  the  majority  which  are 
given. 

There  is  one  feature  which  should  not  be  under- 
estimated in  handling  a  gang  of  any  nationality,  and 
that  is  that  the  men  should,  if  possible,  be  kept  in  a 
cheerful  state  of  mind.  With  almost  every  gang  this 

70 


HANDLING     LABORERS 


will  result  in  increasing  the  amount  and  decreasing  the 
irksomeness  of  the  work.  Of  course  there  are  times 
when  it  is  necessary  to  adopt  opposite  tactics  which 
will  put  the  gang  in  a  bad  humor.  Sometimes  men 
will  work  harder  if  they  are  mad.  If  they  are  treated 
in  this  way  continually,  however,  they  will  gradually 
become  dissatisfied  and  take  advantage  of  every  possible 
chance  to  shirk  the  work. 


71 


CHAPTER  IV. 
RENEWING  TIES. 

A  track  is  no  stronger  than  its  weakest  point.  It  is 
better  to  have  uniformly  fair  track  than  to  have  stretches 
of  excellent  track  mixed  ivith  stretches  of  poor  track. 

The  cost  of  ties  for  renewals  only,  in  the  United 
States,  is  at  present  about  $55,000,000  per  year,  not  in- 
cluding the  labor  cost  to  distribute  and  put  them  in 
and  to  dispose  of  the  old  ones.  This  amounts  to  about 
15  per  cent  of  the  entire  maintenance  of  way  expense 
and  indicates  the  necessity  for  economical  methods. 
It  is  important,  then,  to  adopt  the  best  methods  of 
spotting  the  ties  which  are  to  be  renewed,  the  most 
economical  methods  for  doing  the  work,  and  if  pos- 
sible to  arrange  to  do  the  renewal  work  at  the  time 
of  'the  year  when  labor  can  be  most  easily  obtained. 

Barking  Ties — Experiments  at  the  Forest  Products 
Laboratory  at  Madison,  Wis.,  have  shown  that  bark 
is  very  impervious  to  water.  The  resistance  varies  in 
different  woods;  it  has  been  demonstrated  that  a  piece 
<\)f  bark  not  much  thicker  than  a  piece  of  paper  will 
prevent  any  penetration  of  preservative  under  very 
high  pressure.  This  would  seem  to  be  a  strong  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  leaving  the  bark  on  ties  when  they 
are  put  in  track. 

However,  as  most  trackmen  know,  the  bark  causes 
trouble  if  left  on  the  ties,  because  it  soon  becomes  dis- 
engaged from  the  rest  of  the  wood;  and  when  the 
track  is  being  raised  the  bark  loosens  up  and  becomes 
entangled  in  the  laborers'  shovels.  Part  of  the  bark 

72 


RENEWING    TIES 


is  likely  to  be  tamped  under  the  tie  and  will  afford  poor 
support  to  begin  with,  rotting  early  and  making  the 
support  still  poorer,  and  also  making  it  necessary  to 
clean  the  ballast  much  sooner.  When,  in  addition, 
consideration  is  given  to  the  fact  that  the  interior  of 
the  tie  will  become  seasoned  much  better  if  the  bark 
is  removed,  it  seems  sound  policy  to  continue  to  bark 
ties  as  has  been  the  standard  practice  in  the  past. 

Adzing  and  Boring  Ties — Investigation  has  shown 
that  the  ordinary  cut  spike  driven  in  an  unbored  tie 
tears  and  destroys  the  wood  fiber,  not  only  decreasing 
the  holding  power  of  the  spike,  but  promoting  early 
decay.  This  damage  can  be  largely  prevented  by  pre- 
viously boring  the  tie  and  using  diamond  pointed 
spikes;  if  the  holes  are  properly  bored,  the  spikes  can 
be  driven  straight  even  by  poor  workmen  and  knots 
will  not  deflect  the  spikes  when  they  are  being  driven. 
It  is  quite  common  practice  to  adz  and  bore  ties  pre- 
vious to  subjecting  them  to  a  process  for  preservation. 
This  practice  may  be  economical  with  ties  which  are  not 
to  be  treated  provided  they  can  be  assembled  at  some 
point  without  too  great  an  expense. 

The  great  objection  to  boring  ties  is  that  the  exact 
size  of  the  rails  to  be  used  must  be  known  when  the 
ties  are  bored.  .  But  sizes  for  main  line  rail  will  not 
vary  much  on  first-class  track;  therefore  it  should  be 
possible  to  arrange  for  adzing  and  boring  ties  for  such 
tracks  without  great  difficulty. 

Experiments  made  at  the  University  of  Purdue  sev- 
eral years  ago  showed  that  a  9/16  in.  square  spike  with 
diamond  point,  driven  in  a  ^  in.  hole,  showed  an  aver- 
age holding  power  of  8178  Ibs.  The  same  spike  driven 
without  boring  had  a  holding  power  of  only  7613  Ibs. 

73 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

These  figures  are  the  average  of  18  tests  on  creosote, 
zinc  chloride  and  untreated  ties. 

Adzing  by  machinery  has  the  advantage  of  being 
cheaper  than  adzing  by  hand  labor;  but  more  than 
that,  it  is  accurate  and  gives  a  uniformly  level  seating 
for  the  rails.  On  roads  where  there  is  no  provision  for 
adzing  ties  before  being  sent  out  on  the  track,  it  is 
good  policy  for  the  section  forces  to  adz  the  rail  seats 
in  the  winter  time,  using  the  Ware  tie  plate  gauge  and 
surfacer.  It  is  cheaper  to  adz  ties  before  they  are 
placed  under  the  rails.  With  the  Ware  surfacer,  adz- 
ing may  be  carried  on  in  the  winter  time  and  so  pro- 
vide a  means  of  holding  trackmen. 

Sawed  Ties — A  great  many  men,  unfamiliar  with 
track  work,  advocate  the  use  of  sawed  ties  exclusively. 
They  claim  that  a  sawed  tie  can  be  made  with  less 
waste  and  out  of  poorer  timber  than  a  hewn  tie.  The 
trackman  believes  this  thoroughly  and  can  prove  it  by 
citeing  the  shorter  life  of  his  sawed  switch  ties  in  com- 
parison with  the  life  of  the  ordinary  hewn  track  ties; 
and  it  is  because  of  the  shorter  life  that  the  trackman 
objects  to  the  sawed  track  tie.  While  hewn  ties  must 
be  adzed  at  an  additional  cost,  the  superiority  in  the 
quality  of  the  timber  from  which  they  are  made  more 
than  justifies  their  use. 

Sawed  ties  of  poor  timber,  unless  treated,  will  not 
last  long  enough  to  justify  the  expense  of  inserting 
them.  One  trackman  claims  that  a  saw  will  open  the 
pores  of  the  wood  while  an  axe  tends  to  close  the 
pores,  which  is  a  further  reason  for  the  superior  ser- 
vice obtained  from  hewn  ties. 

Renewing  Ties  to  Face — There  has  been  much  dis- 
cussion on  the  relative  advantage  of  renewing  ties 

74 


RENEWING    TIES 


singly  or  to  face.  If  the  ties  renewed  to  face  are 
firmly  tamped,  and  are  put  in  with  the  minimum  dis- 
turbance of  the  old  tie  bed,  they  are  nearly  as  solid 
as  the  old  ties.  In  fact,  they  may  be  fully  as  solid  as 
old  ties,  because  the  wood  is  hard  and  the  tie  does 
not  compress  as  the  old  ones  do  when  heavy  trains 
pass  over  the  track. 

If  the  wheel  loads  are  not  carried  uniformly  by  each 
tie,  the  load  transferred  to  or  supported  by  the  ballast 
underneath  the  ties,  will  not  be  uniform,  and  this  tends 
to  break  up  the  old  tie  beds  as  well  as  to  cause  ex- 
cessive concentration  of  the  loads  on  some  ties.  And 
if  the  load  is  transmitted  unevenly  to  the  ballast  in 
the  first  place,  a  greater  depth  of  ballast  than  other- 
wise needed  will  be  necessary  to  secure  an  even  dis- 
tribution on  the  sub-grade. 

Most  trackmen  are  opposed  to  renewing  ties  to  face 
because  it  loosens  up  the  whole  roadbed  at  one  time 
and  allows  excessive  creeping  of  the  rails.  Another 
objection  brought  up  is  that  after  the  ties  have  been 
in  the  track  the  maximum  length  of  time  they  are  all 
weakened  at  the  same  time. 

If  ties  were  renewed  to  face  tne  work  could  be  done 
at  a  less  cost  per  tie,  but  this  may  be  compensated  by 
the  fact  that  ties  might  be  removed  which  have  a  year 
or  a  year  and  a  half  more  service  in  them,  yet  after 
being  taken  out  of  the  track  will  be  broken  up  so  that 
they  are  not  fit  to  be  used  again,  even  in  side  tracks. 

While  general  opinion  seems  to  be  opposed  to  re- 
newing ties  out  of  a  face,  a  few  roads  are  using  this 
method  and  it  has  some  very  staunch  advocates. 

Mr.  R.  -P.  Trabue,  General  Roadmaster  of  the  Nash- 
ville Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis  Ry.,  says  that  he  has 

75 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

found  the  following  advantages  in  this  method :  (1) 
It  is  seldom  necessary  to  disturb  the  ties  between  re- 
newals, and  this  minimizes  mechanical  wear  on  the  tie 
and  the  powdering  of  the  ballast  caused  by  tamping; 
(2)  it  gives  each  tie  an  equal  bearing;  (3)  the  spread 
of  the  fungi  which  causes  decay  is  lessened  when  sound 
ties  are  used  throughout  a  stretch  of  track. 

He  states  further  that  actual  experiments  have 
shown  a  life  from  six  to  seven  years  for  the  ties  with 
a  great  reduction  in  maintenance.  Renewals  are  al- 
ways made  soon  enough  to  maintain  the  track  in  safe 
condition.  He  makes  a  strong  point  of  the  decrease  in 
the  mechanical  wear  on  the  ties  and  the  saving  in  bal- 
last because  the  track  does  not  have  to  be  disturbed  as 
often  if  renewals  are  made  out  of  a  face. 

The  Correct  Distribution  of  Ties — The  correct  dis- 
tribution of  ties,  like  the  distribution  of  all  other  track 
material,  is  important.  Since  the  winter  months  are 
generally  used  for  distributing  ties,  time  is  usually 
available  for  making  a  careful  distribution.  And  a 
careful  distribution  will  save  the  cost  of  redistribution 
and  make  it  possible  to  increase  the  amount  of  work 
done  when  renewing.  Ties  should  not  be  piled  on 
bottoms  where  spring  freshets  will  float  them  away ; 
neither  should  they  be  rolled  down  embankments  be- 
cause it  is  laborious  and  expensive  work  to  carry  them 
back  on  the  grade.  If  possible  the  piles  should  be  lo- 
cated so  that  the  ties  can  be  trucked  down  grade  by 
the  section  gang.  When  unloading  ties  from  cars,  a 
gang  of  men  should  follow  the  train  to  pile  up  the  ties 
at  highway  crossings  and  also  to  pull  all  ties  in  the 
clear.  One  method  which  has  been  used  to  aid  in  dis- 
tributing ties  correctly  for  renewals  is  to  count  up  the 

76 


RENEWING    TIES 


ones  marked  for  renewal  and  write  the  number  needed 
on  the  telegraph  poles.  White  crayon  is  excellent  for 
marking  the  telegraph  poles,  and  the  figures  should 
be  made  large  enough  so  that  they  may  be  seen 
plainly  by  the  men  on  the  tie  cars. 

On  high  fills  particularly,  it  is  good  policy  to  shove 
one  end  of  the  ties  off  onto  the  ground  and  then  let 
them  drop  as  the  train  pulls  ahead.  This  will  dis- 
tribute the  ties  parallel  to  the  track  and  prevent  them 
from  running  down  the  embankments.  This  method 
is  also  a  good  one  to  use  in  cuts,  as  the  ties  are  not 
so  likely  to  roll  in  under  the  cars.  Another  method 
is  to  shove  one  end  of  the  tie  off  onto  the  grade  first, 
and  then  drop  the  opposite  end  off  parallel  to  the 
track  without  starting  the  train. 

Inspecting  Ties  for  Renewals — Different  methods 
are  followed  in  inspecting  ties,  but  most  roads  have 
some  method  of  following  and  checking  up  the  fore- 
men's estimates.  The  foreman  will  naturally  order 
and  use  all  the  ties  he  can  get  so  that  he  may  keep  his 
track  in  the  best  condition ;  in  fact,  he  is  likely  to  de- 
feat economy  in  the  fear  that  ''next  year"  his  supply  of 
ties  will  be  cut  down.  Then  also  he  finds  it  much 
cheaper  to  take  out  the  ties  in  bunches  of  three  or  four, 
or  at  least  two  in  a  place,  in  order  to  decrease  the 
amount  of  digging,  and  thus  increase  his  day's  work 
without  an  increase  in  the  amount  of  labor  done.  For 
these  reasons,  while  the  original  inspections  and  re- 
ports on  the  ties  to  be  removed  should  be  made  by 
the  foremen,  the  reports  should  be  checked  up  by  the 
roadmaster,  supervisor,  tie  inspector,  or  even  the  en- 
gineer of  maintenance  of  way  or  the  superintendent. 
Ordinary  practice  is  to  have  the  foreman  make  up  his 

77 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

report  and  to  have  the  roadmaster  go  over  the  track 
with  the  foreman  to  determine  in  a  general  way  wheth- 
er his  recommendations  are  economical. 

Tie  inspectors  who  have  to  go  over  the  entire  sys- 
tem are  unlikely  to  be  acquainted  with  local  condi- 
tions and  their  recommendations  are  sometimes  found 
to  be  unsatisfactory.  Many  railroads,  however,  report 
having  found  the  work  of  tie  inspectors  to  be  satisfac- 
tory and  economical. 

Tie  inspectors  who  are  not  trackmen  do  not  ac- 
complish good  results.  Frequently  such  a  man  will 
declare  that  an  estimate  is  out  of  all  proportion  to  the 
needs  of  the  section,  but  this  is  often  simply  a  method  of 
trying  to  browbeat  the  foreman  into  acknowledging 
that  he  can  get  along  with  a  smaller  number  of  ties 
than  he  has  estimated.  This  frequently  results  in 
the  foreman  being  forced  to  repair  unsafe  places  in 
mid-winter,  using  ties  that  were  being  seasoned  for  the 
next  year.  It  would  be  preposterous  to  have  a  track 
foreman  "expert"  the  auditor's  books,  and  it  is  equally 
fallacious  for  an  office  man  to  attempt  to  give  foremen 
pointers  on  how  to  economize  in  tie  renewals. 

The  inspection  of  ties  should  be  made  the  previous 
autumn,  so  that  there  will  be  plenty  of  time  to  order, 
ship  and  distribute  the  ties  for  the  next  season's  work 
before  the  frost  gets  out  of  the  ground  in  the  spring. 

Inspection  in  Detail — Inspection  of  track  ties  should 
be  very  thorough  in  order  to  show  without  fail  all 
those  which  should  be  removed;  but  good  ties  should 
neither  be  spotted  for  renewal  nor  badly  mutilated  by 
testing  with  a  pick  or  adz.  It  takes  a  trained  eye  to 
tell  just  which  ties  should  be  removed.  Frequently  a 
tie.  which  shows  very  poorly  on  the  top  will  have  a 

78 


RENEWING    TIES 


solid  center  and  careless  work  in  inspecting  or  mark- 
ing it  with  a  pick  or  an  adz  will  make  it  unfit  for  ser- 
vice. The  tie  on  each  side  of  a  rotten  one  should  be 
inspected  carefully,  for  it  is  cheaper  to  remove  several 
ties  at  one  time  in  one  place,  than  to  remove  them 
singly. 

There  is  no  economy  in  removing  one  tie  from  track 
at  a  place  where  there  are  two  bad  ones  together.  This 
will  apparently  save  one  tie,  but  it  really  adds  to  the 
cost  of  renewals  because  the  same  place  will  have  to 
be  dug  up  the  following  year  to  renew  the  remaining 
bad  tie. 

Traffic  conditions  should  be  carefully  considered 
when  marking  the  ties  which  are  to  be  renewed,  it  be- 
ing necessary  to  maintain  with  a  high  factor  of  safety, 
track  which  is  to  be  used  under  high  speed  traffic ;  and 
it  is  necessary  to  have  sounder  ties  on  curves  than  on 
tangents. 

One  railroad  requires  an  inspection  or  test  with  a 
pick  on  each  side  of  the  tie,  under  the  rail  seat,  to 
show  the  interior  soundness.  Any  marks  with  an  adz 
or  a  pick  on  the  top  of  the  tie  provide  a  place  for  moist- 
ure to  collect,  and  thus  promote  the  work  of  decay. 
To  determine  whether  a  tie  is  breaking  under  the  rail 
seat  one  has  only  to  drive  the  pick  under  the  end  of 
the  tie  and  pry  up  lightly.  Sometimes  it  is  necessary 
to  remove  a  tie  which  would  give  a  year  more  service, 
because  it  is  adjacent  to  another  tie  which,  while  not 
bad  enough  to  justify  renewal,  still  is  not  sound  enough 
to  insure  absolute  safety  at  such  a  place.  If  an  insuffi- 
cient number  of  ties  are  provided  and  there  are  places 
where  several  poor  ties  are  located  adjacent  to  each  other, 

79 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

every  other  tie  should  be  renewed  in  order  to  keep  the 
track  safe. 

A  tie  which  has  been  rail-cut  more  than  Y^  of  an 
inch  should  be  replaced.  Ties  should  be  taken  out 
of  track  when  adzed  down  over  y^  of  an  inch ;  if  the 
interiors  of  such  ties  are  sound,  they  can  be  used  in 
sidings  or  in  stub  tracks.  Special  attention  should  be 
given  to  ties  in  road  crossings  or  other  places  where 
they  are  not  easy  to  get  at,  and  to  soft  places  in  the 
roadbed  where  the  track  must  be  shimmed  in  the  win- 
ter time,  as  it  is  very  essential  to  have  sound  ties  in 
such  places. 

When  relaying  track  it  is  frequently  the  practice  to 
put  in  all  new  joint  ties.  In  such  cases  some  of  the 
old  ties  may  be  sound  enough  to  be  used  in  side  tracks. 

Many  trackmen  do  not  mar  the  ties  at  all  in  testing 
them,  but  decide  on  their  condition  from  an  examina- 
tion and  merely  by  stamping  or  pounding  on  them. 
It  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  many  ties  which  show 
up  bad  at  the  ends  will  be  found  good  for  another  year 
or  two  on  making  an  investigation,  by  removing  a 
shovel  full  of  ballast  and  exposing  the  tie  under  the 
rail. 

Marking — Different  standards  are  followed  in  mark- 
ing ties  which  are  to  be  removed,  some  roads  requir- 
ing a  mark  with  an  adz  on  some  part  of  the  tie,  while 
other  roads  specify  that  the  rail  be  marked  with  a  paint 
mark.  One  road  requires  that  one  corner  of  the  tie 
be  cut  off  with  the  adz.  A  definite  system  should  be 
used  and  an  easily  distinguished  mark  made — a  mark 
which  the  distributing  gang  from  another  division  of 
the  same  road  would  easily  recognize. 

Inspection  After  Ties  Are   Removed— Many   rail- 
so 


RENEWING     TIES 


roads  now  make  it  a  practice  to  inspect  the  old  ties 
taken  out  in  order  to  determine  whether  or  not  the  sys- 
tem of  inspection  is  working  out  right  and  preventing 
the  removal  of  sound  ties.  The  roadmaster,  engineer 
maintenance  of  way  or  superintendent  usually  makes 
this  inspection,  calling  the  attention  of  foremen  to  good 
ties  which  have  been  removed.  This  follow-up  in- 
spection has  materially  increased  the  service  obtained 
from  the  ties  as  a  whole. 

The  Pennsylvania  Railroad  has  special  men  who  in- 
spect the  ties  taken  out  of  and  also  those  left  in  the 
track.  The  inspectors  report  to  the  engineer  main- 
tenance of  way,  after  which  proper  steps  are  taken  to 
educate  the  men  in  better  methods.  If,  in  making 
these  inspections,  serviceable  ties  are  found,  they  are 
loaded  and  used  in  the  ends  of  stub  tracks  which  are 
used  mainly  for  storing  cars — places  where  no  loco- 
motive is  likely  to  run  on  them. 

Where  to  Start  the  Renewals — If  there  are  places 
where  a  large  number  of  rotten  ties  must  be  renewed 
close  together,  the  foreman  should  start  at  that  point. 
This  condition  may  occur  on  the  first  renewals  in  a 
track  where  all  the  ties  have  been  in  service  the  same 
length  of  time.  It  may  be  necessary  to  run  over  a 
track  with  a  large  percentage  of  poor  ties,  putting  in 
just  enough  new  ties  to  hold  the  track  to  gauge,  until 
such  time  as  the  entire  number  can  be  renewed.  The 
foreman  should  alwrays  give  the  weak  places  in  the 
track  his  first  attention.  On  curves  with  very  poor 
ties,  the  foreman  should  insert  a  new  tie  in  every  half 
rail  or  at  every  quarter  point  and  when  the  curves  are 
strengthened  in  this  manner  he  can  run  back  and  finish 
the  renewing. 

81 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

Tight  Track — When  ties  are  being  put  in  a  track 
which  has  insufficient  expansion,  the  foreman  must 
work  carefully  to  prevent  the  rails  kicking  out  or  kink- 
ing by  reason  of  taking  out  too  many  spikes  or  ties  at 
one  time.  The  danger  is  greatest  on  a  hot  day,  and 
since  the  track  is  most  likely  to  kink  under  a  train, 
the  foreman  must,  for  safety's  sake,  keep  the  new  ties 
spiked  up  as  fast  as  put  in. 

Uniform  Sized  Ties — Since  the  frost  will  penetrate 
quicker  under  a  narrow-faced  than  under  a  wide-faced 
tie,  and  conversely  since  the  frost  will  go  out  quicker 
from  under  the  narrow-faced  tie,  the  different  sizes 
should  not  be  mixed  up  in  the  track  any  more  than 
necessary,  either  in  original  construction  or  when  re- 
newing. This  is  a  hard  condition  to  meet  practically, 
but  should  be  borne  in  mind  when  distributing  ties  for 
renewal.  If  the  frost  gets  under  some  ties  quicker 
than  others,  it  is  likely  to  cause  heaving. 

Methods  of  Renewing  Ties — No  matter  what  method 
is  used  for  renewing  ties,  they  should  be  adzed  before 
being  put  under  the  rail,  and  the  outside  spike  line 
marked  by  the  foreman  or  a  competent  laborer  using  a 
tie  fiddle.  The  tie  fiddle  plays  an  important  part  in  ex- 
pert tie  renewals.  Much  time  is  lost  in  argument  and 
measuring  when  any  other  method  of  lining  ties  is 
used.  Tie  tongs  should  always  be  used,  whether  load- 
ing, unloading,  carrying  or  putting  ties  into  the  track. 
Not  only  do  these  tools  make  the  work  easier  for  the 
men,  but  tie  tongs  prevent  holes  being  made  in  the 
tops  of  the  ties — and  such  holes  are  reservoirs  for  the 
retention  of  water  which  promotes  decay.  Tie  tongs 
have  been  found  to  greatly  facilitate  the  work,  even 
when  handling  old  rotten  ties,  and  are  especially  val- 

82 


RENEWING     TIES 


uable  when  handling  heavy  switch  ties  or  heavy  tim- 
bers. The  laborers  dislike  to  handle  oil-treated  or 
chemically-treated  ties  with  their  hands,  and  with  tie 
tongs  they  do  not  have  to  touch  them,  so  that  their  use 
results  in  helping  to  hold  laborers. 

Ties  should  be  uniformly  spaced,  since  unequal 
spacing  causes  heavier  loads  on  some  ties  than  on 
others,  and  this  is  one  of  the  causes  of  mud  oozing  up 
between  ties.  All  necessary  re-spacing  should  be 
taken  care  of  when  renewing  ties. 

Renewing  Ties  in  Gravel — A  great  many  roadrnas- 
ters  are  now  using  jacks  when  renewing  ties,  raising 
the  rail  1J/2  to  2  in.  and  removing  the  tie  by  digging 
out  at  the  ends  and  but  little  in  the  center  of  the 
track.  A  new  tie  is  then  placed  on  the  bed  of  the  old, 
an  effort  being  made  to  choose  ties  which  will  fit  in 
the  old  tie  holes  without  being  too  wide  or  too  high. 
Contrary  to  general  opinion,  the  gravel  will  not  run 
in  under  the  tie  when  raised  as  high  as  necessary  for 
this  method  except  when  the  track  and  gravel  are 
new,  at  which  time  tie  renewals  are  not  necessary.  It 
is  necessary  to  put  in  the  new  tie  before  a  train  runs 
over  the  track ;  the  side  friction  will  hold  the  ties  up 
only  until  the  first  train  passes. 

S.  J.  Evans,  general  foreman  of  the  Central  Califor- 
nia Traction  Co.,  describes  a  method  which  he  has 
used  in  gravel  where  the  track  is  in  good  surface.  The 
men  shovel-tamp  the  new  ties  to  the  rail  and  then  jack 
the  track  up  high  enough  to  slip  the  tie  plates  under, 
after  which  the  new  ties  are  spiked.  The  surface  of 
the  track  is  left  a  little  "lumpy,"  but  in  a  few  days  the 
ties  will  settle  and  the  track  will  come  back  to  its  orig- 

83 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

inal  surface.  He  has  found  this  method  to  be  not  only 
superior,  but  much  cheaper  than  bar  tamping. 

The  objection  to  using  the  old  tie  bed  when  insert- 
ing the  new  tie  is  that  usually  the  rail  will  have  cut 
down  into  the  old  tie,  even  if  tie  plates  are  used,  to  the 
extent  of  ^  to  ^4  of  an  inch.  Unless  thinner  ties  are 
available,  therefore,  the  track  will  be  left  too  high  if 
the  old  tie  bed  is  used,  so  that  an  excessive  weight  is 
carried  by  the  new  tie  until  such  time  as  the  old  bed  is 
broken  down  and  the  track  settles  to  its  original  sur- 
face. 

Renewing  Ties  in  Dirt  Track — In  renewing  ties  in 
dirt  track,  a  pinch  bar  is  handier  for  raising  the  rails 
than  a  track  jack.  The  tie  adjacent  to  the  one  to  be  re- 
newed is  deadened,  and  the  track  may  then  be  pinched 
up  and  a  spike  placed  on  the  dead  tie  under  the  rail 
base,  which  will  hold  up  the  rail  while  the  men  are 
taking  out  the  old  tie,  digging  down  the  bed  a  little  if 
necessary,  and  putting  in  the  new  tie.  The  tie  should 
be  put  in  "stiff"  so  that  it  will  have  to  settle  one-half 
inch  or  so  to  come  down  to  the  level  of  the  other  ties. 
Before  renewing  a  tie,  the  dirt  which  is  rounded  above 
the  tie  in  the  center  must  be  removed;  otherwise  it 
will  be  scraped  off  and  left  in  the  old  tie  hole  as  the  tie 
is  pulled  out. 

Renewing  Ties  in  Stone  Ballast — J.  P.  McAndrews 
of  the  Chicago  &  North  Western  Railway,  advocated 
the  following  methods  of  renewing  ties  in  stone  bal- 
last, in  an  article  published  in  the  Railway  Age  Ga- 
zette. "The  best  way  to  renew  ties  in  stone  ballast  is 
to  raise  the  track  1^  to  2  in.  and  renew  ties  at  the 
same  time.  With  sixteen  men,  part  of  these  can  be 
assigned  to  tamping  the  good  ties  as  soon  as  the  jack- 

84 


RENEWING    TIES 


men  raise  the  track,  and  the  rest  of  the  men  can  re- 
move the  rotten  ties  and  replace  them  with  new  ones. 
With  this  method  it  is  not  necessary  to  disturb  the  old 
tie  beds  and  practically  all  ties  get  the  same  seating; 
there  is  not  much  danger  of  the  new  ties  settling  and 
having  to  be  gone  over  again. 

"If  the  ties  are  to  be  renewed  without  raising  the 
track,  one  man  should  be  given  the  clawbar  and  sent 
ahead  to  pull  all  the  spikes  on  the  marked  ties,  unless 
several  marked  ties  come  together,  in  which  case 
enough  ties  should  be  left  spiked  to  hold  the  rails 
safely  to  gauge.  Men  with  shovels  and  picks  should 
then  remove  the  ballast  just  inside  the  rails  so  that  a 
man  can  take  an  axe  and  chop  the  tie  in  two  at  these 
points.  The  tie  may  then  be  removed  in  three  pieces 
without  any  side  excavation.  The  new  tie  is  put  in 
with  the  least  possible  digging,  the  ties  being  chosen 
so  that  they  fit  in  the  old  holes  as  nearly  as  possible. 
The  new  ties  should  then  be  tamped  but  not  completely 
filled  in,  so  that  they  may  be  again  retamped  in  a  few 
days  without  having  to  dig  out  the  stone  ballast 
again." 

Mr.  McAndrews'  method  of  giving  the  track  a  gen- 
eral raise  of  \l/2  to  2  in.  is  an  economical  method  in 
gravel  as  well  as  in  stone  ballast,  and  leaves  good  track 
with  each  tie  having  an  even  bearing.  Where  the  em- 
bankments shrink  and  leave  center  bound  track  it  is 
of  course  the  very  best  method  to  use.  S.  J.  Evans 
states  that  with  this  method  in  good  loose  gravel  the 
tie  men  (following  the  surfacing  gang),  can  put  in 
from  24  to  28  ties  per  man,  the  tie  men  removing,  re- 
placing, spiking  and  tamping  the  new  ties.  The  tie 

85 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

men  work  in  pairs,  each  pair  having  a  pick,  two  shov- 
els, a  spike  maul,  gauge  and  clawbar. 

When  renewing  ties  the  track  should  be  spiked  to 
gauge  and  the  new  ties  spiked  in  correct  line.  If  neces- 
sary, the  old  ties  should  be  spaced  adjacent  to  the  new 
ones  and  everything  done  to  make  a  good  piece  of 
track  before  leaving  it. 

Costs  of  Renewing  Ties — The  cost  of  renewing  ties 
is  usually  figured  at  about  15c.  On  the  Nashville  Chat- 
tanooga &  St.  Louis,  where  careful  records  have  been 
kept,  average  records  of  three  divisions  indicate  that 
in  1914,  15c.  per  tie  was  about  right.  Many  officials 
try  to  cut  the  cost  of  renewing  ties  way  down  to  "make 
a  record."  They  chase  their  foremen  hard,  calling  at- 
tention to  the  record  of  any  man  who  is  able  to  do 
more  than  the  rest,  with  the  result  that  soon  the  sec- 
tion foremen  lose  all  interest  in  carefully  renewing  the 
rotten  ties  and  strive  only  to  make  a  big  showing  of 
putting  in  new  ties.  This  often  results  in  ultimate  loss 
to  the  company  because  a  number  of  good  ties  adja- 
cent to  a  rotten  one  will  be  removed  in  order  to 
cheapen  the  work. 

Another  evil  of  this  attempt  to  make  records  is  that 
the  foremen  may  pad  their  reports,  either  reporting  a 
larger  number  of  ties  than  they  have  actually  put  in, 
or  charging  up  some  of  the  time  to  general  repairs  or 
to  some  other  item  of  track  work  which  it  is  difficult 
to  check.  The  honesty  of  the  track  man  and  ultimate 
economy  in  handling  ties  will  be  promoted  in  setting 
up  and  expecting,  as  an  average,  no  more  than  a  fair 
standard  day's  work.  The  padding  of  reports  can  be 
stopped  by  having  an  inspector  or  a  general  foreman 
go  over  the  sections  every  day,  taking  note  of  what 

86 


RENEWING    TIES 


each  gang  is  doing  and  then  checking  up  the  foremen's 
report. 

Disposal  of  Ties — Many  railroad  companies  instruct 
their  section  foremen  to  pile  and  burn  old  ties.  Some 
railroads  carry  this  to  such  an  extreme  that  it  is  dim- 
cult  for  the  section  men  even  to  obtain  old  ties  for 
firewood. 

Aside  from  the  expense  incurred  in  gathering,  piling 
and  burning  ties,  the  effect  of  destroying  them  is  likely 
to  have  a  bad  effect  on  the  men,  as  they  realize  that 
the  wood  might  be  used  for  some  useful  purpose.  Some 
railroads  make  it  a  practice  to  give  the  ties  to  farmers 
along  the  right  of  way.  This  is  certainly  much  better 
than  burning  them.  It  entails  less  labor  on  the  part 
of  the  company  employes  and  gains  the  good  will  of 
the  farmers.  Some  railroads  have  been  able  to  de- 
velop a  sale  for  these  old  ties  to  be  used  as  fence  posts. 
Arrangements  can  sometimes  be  made  with  the  farm- 
ers to  do  right  of  way  mowing  in  exchange  for  the 
old  ties.  The  great  danger  of  giving  away  or  selling 
ties  is  that  the  foremen  in  their  attempts  to  do  some- 
one a  favor  or  to  turn  in  a  large  amount  of  money  to 
the  company  treasury,  will  discard  ties  which  might 
be  used  to  advantage  for  two  or  three  years  longer  in 
the  track.  One  roadmaster,  however,  reports  that  he 
has  sold  a  good  many  of  his  ties  and  that  the  sale  nets 
the  company  a  neat  sum  annually.  Where  the  inspec- 
tion can  be  made  by  the  roadmaster  and  there  is  no 
danger  of  getting  rid  of  good  material,  the  sale  of 
course  would  mean  a  material  addition  to  revenues. 
It  is  perhaps  needless  to  say  that  if  there  is  no  demand 
for  the  ties  they  should  be  burned  rather  than  to  be 
left  to  litter  up  the  right  of  way. 

87 


CHAPTER  V 
RELAYING  RAIL 

Relaying  in  Winter — Objections  have  been  made  to  re- 
laying rail  in  the  winter,  because  of  the  fact  that  joint 
ties  cannot  be  spaced  at  that  time.  The  Pittsburgh  & 
Lake  Erie  and  the  Lehigh  Valley,  however,  started  to  lay 
main  track  without  spacing  or  slotting  the  joint  ties  sev- 
eral years  ago.  This  method  was  adopted  after  careful 
consideration,  and  at  the  same  time  angle  bars  were 
adopted  which  were  designed 'to  make  the  joint  as  stiff  as 
the  rest  of  the  rail.  These  installations  were  looked  upon 
as  experiments,  but  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul, 
the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific,  and  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral have  since  tried  out  this  method. 

With  track  laid  in  this  manner,  where  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  rail  anchors  is  used,  all  ties  will  constantly  remain 
on  their  hardened  beds.  Even  when  the  track  is  raised 
or  surfaced  the  tie,  being  raised  vertically,  will  still 
have  a  hard  bed  beneath  it.  With  joints  slot  spiked  and 
track  insufficiently  anchored,  when  rail  creeping  com- 
mences the  joint  ties  are  pushed  off  of  their  beds.  Joint 
ties  should  not  be  required  to  resist  rail  creeping,  because 
they  are  subjected  to  more  severe  vertical  pounding  than 
the  other  ties. 

It  is  stated  that  as  good  a  job  can  be  done  relaying 
track  in  the  winter  as  in  the  summer,  if  the  foreman  is 
careful  to  shim  over  the  low  ties,  plug  the  old  spike  holes 
and  in  other  ways  attempt  to  make  an  especially  good  job. 
In  the  spring  the  shims  are  removed  by  the  regular  sec- 
tion gang  when  removing  the  shims  from  heaved  track. 

88 


RELAYING    RAIL 


One  great  advantage  to  the  railway  of  laying  track  in 
winter  is  that  experienced  track  men  may  be  retained  for 
this  work,  instead  of  being  laid  off  in  the  fall.  It  is  a  great 
advantage  to  the  laborer  and  to  society  in  general  to  have 
an  additional  number  of  trackmen  employed  the  year 
around  instead  of  being  out  of  work  in  the  winter. 

No  matter  when  the  work  is  done  the  old  spike  holes 
should  be  plugged  up.  Good  spike  hole  plugs  ready  for 
the  holes  should  be  provided  in  plenty,  and  should  be 
kept  in  and  distributed  from  bags  to  prevent  loss. 

Distributing  Track  Material  Accurately — Accuracy  in 
distributing  spikes,  angle  bars,  bolts,  nut  locks,  and  rails 
is  highly  repaid.  Unloading  track  material  cheaply  and 
with  the  least  expenditure  of  labor  and  energy  is  desir- 
able, but  it  is  equally  desirable  that  the  correct  quantities 
be  unloaded,  and  that  they  be  placed  at  the  correct  points 
along  the  right  of  way.  The  money  saved  by  a  cheap 
method  of  unloading  track  material  may  be  overbalanced 
by  the  increased  cost  of  track  laying,  if  an  insufficient 
amount  of  material  is  unloaded,  or  if  it  has  to  be  redis- 
tributed by  hand. 

Unloading  Rails — Unloading  rails  by  hand,  especially 
from  stock  cars,  is  slow  and  laborious.  This  fact,  as  well 
as  the  danger  of  rails  breaking  in  cold  weather,  has  led  to 
the  development  of  several  ingenious  methods  of  unload- 
ing rails.  When  unloading  from  flats  in  warm  weather 
many  track  men  consider  it  safe  to  shove  the  rails  over 
the  edge  of  the  cars,  using  a  gang  of  2  to  4  men  with  rail 
forks,  or  8  to  14  men  with  shovels.  This  method  should 
not  be  used  in  the  winter  time  when  the  rails  are  cold 
and  brittle  and  the  ground  is  frozen  hard.  Under  these 
conditions,  skids,  a  rail  derrick,  or  some  other  means 
should  be  used. 

89 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 


Rail  Derrick — For  unloading  heavy  rails  portable  der- 
rick attached  to  the  sides  of  cars  have  been  used.  Six 
men  only  are  required,  and  rails  can  be  unloaded  at  the 
rate  of  one  per  minute.  The  derricks  are  light  and  can 
be  easily  transferred  from  car  to  car.  They  are  set  up  in 
the  stake  pockets. 

Air  Unloaders  or  Rail  Derricks — Recently  air  unloaders 
or  rail  derricks,  have  been  experimented  with  for  unload- 


Fig.   2. — Improvised  Rail  Derrick  with  Old   Rails  for  Boom. 

ing  rails  and  good  results  reported.  Several  cranes  used 
with  one  locomotive  and  train  crew  have  made  records 
both  for  speed  and  low  cost  of  unloading. 

Unloading  Rails  from  Flat  Cars — When  flat  cars  are 
used,  the  rails  are  sometimes  hauled  off  the  rear  over 
dollies,  using  cables  as  described  below  under  V-frames. 

Mr.  A.  M.  Clough,  in  the  Maintenance  of  Way  Bulletin, 
March,  1913,  described  a  very  ingenious  arrangement  of 
skids  for  unloading  rails  and  also  an  improvised  derrick 
for  loading.  The  derrick  was  built  of  parts  of  an  old 

90 


RELAYING    RAIL 


wrecker  fitted  with  an  extension  boom  of  two  30  ft.  rails. 
(Fig.  2.)  This  machine  takes  care  of  all  rail  loading  and 
unloading  on  the  division.  A  loading  speed  of  4  rails  per 
minute  can  be  attained. 

Skids — The  skids  for  unloading  fit  into  the  car  pockets 
in  the  ordinary  manner,  and  reach  clear  across  the  ad- 
jacent track.  (Fig.  3.)  The  skid  rails  are  chained  to- 
gether and  the  front  skid  is  chained  to  the  car  ahead  of 


Fig.  3. — Ingenious  Use  of  Skid  Rails. 

the  one  being  unloaded  in  such  manner  that  the  skids  are 
dragged  along  perpendicular  to  the  car,  when  the  train 
moves.  The  skids  slide  on  the  rail,  and  require  no  atten- 
tion when  the  train  moves.  When  necessary  to  clear  the 
track,  which  is  protected  by  flagmen,  the  skid  rails  are 
uncoupled,  the  car  is  moved  ahead,  and  the  skids  swing 
around  clear.. 

To  retard  the  speed  oak  strips  are  bolted  along  the 
sides  of  the  skids  and  are  made  to  project  high  enough  to 
retard  the  rail.  As  the  wood  wears  off,  the  strips  are 

91 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 


raised  a  little,  the  bolts  being  in  slotted  holes  which  allow 
of  this  adjustment. 

V-Frames — A  V-Frame  is  made  by  bending  a  short  rail 
in  the  shape  of  a  V,  after  removing  about  12  in.  of  the 
web  and  flange  at  the  middle.  The  outer  ends  are  bent 


rtil 


-if 


Fig.  4.— V-Frame  for  Unloading  Rails  from  Stock  Cars. 

horizontal  so  they  will  rest  on  the  track  rails,  and  the  V  is 
inverted  and  placed  in  position  on  the  pin  in  the  draw  bar, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  4.  Two  plates  are  riveted  on  the  bases  of 
the  V  rail  to  form  shoes  which  slide  on  the  track  rails. 
The  knuckle  is  removed  from  the  coupling  and  a  round 
pin  with  a  high  head  is  inserted  to  hang  the  V  on.  The 


RELAYING    RAIL 


V-frame  is  used  for  unloading  out  of  the  end  doors  of  stock 
cars,  or  off  the  ends  of  flat  cars. 

Two  wire  ropes  or  rope  cables  are  provided,  about  20  ft. 
long,  each  having  a  hook  in  one  end  to  insert  in  the  bolt 


Fig.   5. — V-Frame  Mounted  on  Dumpy. 

hole  of  the  rail,  and  a  loop,  or  preferably  a  clamp,  in  the 
other  end.  The  hooks  are  inserted  in  two  rails,  and  the 
rope  may  be  anchored  by  means  of  bars,  stuck  through 
the  loops  and  driven  into  the  ground  back  of  a  tie,  out- 
side of  the  rail ;  clamps  which  will  catch  the  ball  of  the 
rail  are  much  easier  to  use,  however.  When  the  train 
starts,  the  two  rails  are  dragged  out  of  the  car  toward  the 
opposite  sides  of  the  track.  When  the  end  of  the  rails 

93 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

next  the  car  fall,  they  slide  down  the  V-frame  and  outside 
the  track.  The  train  then  stops,  backs  up  a  little,  and  the 
operation  is  repeated.  Two  men  are  required  for  the 
anchor  (lining)  bars,  or  clamps,  6  in  the  car,  and  2 
straightening  up  the  rails. 

Fig.  5  shows  a  V-frame  of  a  little  different  type,  mounted 
on  a  dump  car  which  is  coupled  to  the  stock  car  by  a  long 
coupling  bar. 

Four  cables  may  be  used,  two  of  them  being  33  ft.  longer 
than  the  others.  The  cables  can  then  be  anchored  at  al- 
ternate rail  lengths  and  the  distribution  made  correctly  with- 
out backing  up.  The  train  is  stopped  just  before  the  first 
pair  of  rails  has  fallen,  to  give  time  to  fasten  the  hooks  in 
the  next  pair  of  rails.  The  first  pair  of  rails  will  drop  after 
the  train  starts  again  and  has  moved  3  or  4  ft.  and  the 
other  two  rails  will  be  started  and  dragged  out  25  or  26 
ft.,  at  which  time  the  train  again  stops. 

Placing  Rails — The  advantage  of  accurate  distribu- 
tion of  material  can  hardly  be  overestimated  in  relay- 
ing track.  While  waiting  for  trains,  when  distributing 
material,  the  gang  should  be  kept  busy  setting  up  rails  end 
to  end  to  insure  correct  distribution ;  and  the  joint  ties  can 
be  distributed  just  where  they  are  likely  to  be  needed,  during 
such  intervals.  The  time  between  trains,  which  otherwise 
would  be  wasted,  is  thus  used  to  place  the  material  so  that 
track  laying  will  be  facilitated. 

Distributing  Ties. — The  tables  given  have  been 
worked  up  to  give  figures  which  can  be  used  in  distribu- 
ting material  by  noting  either  the  telegraph  poles  or  the 
rail  joints,  for  either  30  or  33-ft.  rails.  The  figures  in 
most  cases  have  been  carried  out  only  to  the  nearest 
quarter  keg,  box,  etc.,  so  that  they  can  be  easily  used  by 
men  who  are  not  used  to  handling  fractions. 

94 


RELAYING     RAIL 


Table  1  is  for  distributing  ties  for  a  new  track.  It  is 
customary  to  take  out  several  carloads  at  once  and  distrib- 
ute the  gang  on  the  various  cars.  The  train  is  generally 
moved  about  one  train  length  for  each  spotting.  When 
spotting  according  to  rail  lengths  a  man  may  be  sent 
ahead  to  make  a  chalk  mark  on  the  rail  joints  at  intervals 
which  gives  the  nearest  equivalent  to  the  train  length. 

The   number   of   ties   to   be    unloaded   from   between 


TABLE    1:      DISTRIBUTING    TIES    ACCORDING    TO    TELEPHONE 

POLES. 

30-ft. 

Rails 

33-ft. 

Rails 

No.  per  rail 

Telephone 
Poles  150  ft. 

Telephone 
Poles  200  ft. 

Telephone 
Poles  150  ft. 

Telephone 
Poles  200  ft. 

Length 

Apart 

Apart 

Apart 

Apart 

15 

75 

100 



16 

80 

107 

17 

85 

114 

78 

103 

18 

90 

120 

82 

109 

19 

95 

127 

87 

115 

20 

91 

121 

21 



96 

12S 

telephone  poles  for  various  spacings  can  be  determined 
from  Table  1.  The  table  is  not  directly  applicable  to 
the  distribution  of  ties  for  relaying.  It  is  rather  general 
practice  to  provide  new  ties  for  every  joint,  and  the  dis- 
tribution is  then  made  on  that  basis;  then,  if  it  is  un- 
necessary to  replace  all  of  the  joint  ties,  the  new  ties  can 
be  kept  for  ordinary  renewal  near  the  same  location. 

Possibly  the  best  method  of  distributing  ties  for  re- 
laying (unless  some  parts  of  the  section  need  more  re- 
newals than  others)  is  to  count  the  number  of  ties  and 
distribute  the  same  number  at  each  rail  length  over  the 
entire  section.  Or  the  number  per  telegraph  pole  may 
be  computed  and  that  number  thrown  off  one  at  a  time 
at  approximately  equal  intervals  between  the  poles. 

Distributing  Angle  Bars. — Table  2  gives  the  number  of 

95 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

angle  bars  required  per  rail  length,  and  per  telegraph 
pole  whether  located  150  ft.  or  200  ft.  apart.  It  is  some- 
times easier  to  gage  the  distribution  by  telephone  poles 
than  by  rail  lengths,  but  if  the  rails  have  already  been 
distributed,  the  best  method  is  to  throw  off  four  angle 
bars  and  two  joint  plates,  or  two  joints,  for  each  rail 
length.  It  is  not  necessary  to  distribute  extra  pieces, 

TABLE  2:     DISTRIBUTING  ANGLE  BARS  OR  JOINTS. 

Per  Per  Telephone  Pole  Per  Telephone  Pole 

Rail  150  Ft.  Apart  200  Ft.  Apart 

Length  30-ft.  Rail    33-ft.  Rail  30-ft.  Rail      33-ft.  Rail 

Angle   bars 4  20                   18*  28                   24** 

Joints    (or  joint 
plates     for 

angle  bars) 2  10                    9t  14                   12tt 

*2  extras  at  every  10th  pole. 

t2  extras  at  every  20th  pole. 
**2  extras  at  every  8th  pole. 
tt2  extras  at  every  16th  pole. 

because  these  appliances  are  not  so  easily  lost  as  spikes 
or  bolts. 

Distributing  Track  Bolts. — Table  3,  for  the  distribu- 
tion of  track  bolts,  gives  in  its  various  columns  the  num- 
ber of  joints  which  one  keg  will  full-bolt  for  either  30 
or  33-ft.  rails,  and  for  either  4-hole  or  6-hole  joints.  For 
instance,  if  4^4-in.  by  1-in.  bolts  are  to  be  used  on 
100-lb.  33-ft.  rails  with  6-hole  angle  bars,  column  2  (below) 
in  the  table  shows  that  there  are  109  bolts  to  the  keg,  and 
column  3,  that  these  will  full-bolt  9  joints,  and  column  4, 
that  it  will  bolt  the  joints  between  2  telephone  poles  150 
ft.  apart,  or  column  5,  1J4  telephone  poles  200  ft.  apart. 
In  making  the  distribution  it  is  impossible  to  divide  up 
the  kegs,  so  that  with  telephone  poles  150  ft.  apart,  one 
keg  should  be  thrown  off  at  intervals  of  two  telephone 
poles.  For  telegraph  poles  200  ft.  apart,  one  keg  should 
be  thrown  off  at  every  pole,  and  one  extra  keg  at  every 

96 


TABLE  3:     DISTRIBUTING  TRACK  BOLTS. 

4-hole  Joints — One  Keg  Will  Full. bolt. 

33-ft.  Rails  30-ft.  Rails 


Kind 
%  in.  x  3% 
%  in.  x  4 
%  in.  x  4 
%  in.  x  4^4 
%  in.  x  4% 
1      in.  x  414 
1      in.  x  4% 
1      in.  x  4% 
1      in.  x  5 
1      in.  x  514 
1      in.  x  5% 
1      in.  x  5% 
1      in.  x  6 
1      in.  x  6^4 
1      in.  x  6% 

in... 
in 

§ 

C4 

1 

O  V 

fcW 

255 
237 

• 
c 

1 
31% 

I9i* 
8& 

14% 
14 

11* 

12% 
12% 
12 
11% 
11^4 
10% 

.       09                        M 
V                      0) 

2«     2t 

cS                  cd 

«n          »S 

§<J          §<5 
x:^j          x:^j 

&fo           &S 

S§     2§ 

HiH                 E-KM 

7                 5% 
6%              4% 
5%             3% 
5tt             3% 
4^             2% 
4                 2V4 
3%             2^4 
3%             2% 
3%             2 
3^             2 
3V4             2 
3V4             2 
3^4           1% 
3                 1% 
2%             1% 

2m 
£ 

fit:      fit 

o>  a         «  a 

12     12 

8-fc       gfe 

IS     II 

1$     1$ 

4^4            3 
4                  3 
3%             2^ 

2%            2V4 
2%             2 
2%             2 
2%             1% 
2^             1% 
2%             1% 
2%             1% 
2%             1% 
2%             1 
2                  1 

in... 
in... 
in... 
in... 

168 
162 
141 
119 

in... 
in.... 
in.... 
in... 

114 
109 
......     106 
103 

in.... 
in... 
in... 

100 
98 
94 

in... 
in.... 

91 

87 

6-hole  Joints  —  One  Keg  Will  Full-bolt. 
33-ft.  Rails            30-ft.  Rails 

Kind 
%  in.  x  3% 
%  in.  x  4 
%  in.  x  4 
%  in.  x  414 
%  in.  x  4% 
1      in.  x  4^4 
1      in.  x  4% 
1      in.  x  4% 
1      in.  x  5 
1      in.  x  5^4 
1      in.  x  5% 
1      in.  x  5% 
1      in.  x  6 
1      in.  x  6^4 
1      in.  x  6% 

in.... 
in.... 
in.... 
in... 
in.... 
in 

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......     255 
237 
168 
162 
141 
119 

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HS      £§ 

4%             3% 
4%             3^4 
.      3                2% 
2%             2 
2^             1% 
2                  1% 
2                  !!/£ 
2                 1%- 
1%             1% 
1%             1% 
1%             1% 
1%             1% 
1%             1% 
1%             1% 
1%             1 

a                n 
v               a> 

It      It 

c3                 c3 

15      It 

|E     |£ 

&s      £s 

4^4              3 
3%             2% 
2%             2 
2%             2 
2^4            1% 
2                 1^ 
1%             1% 
1%            lx/4 
1%            1% 

8      i8 
i8      i 

1%           1 
1%           1 

in... 
in.... 
in.... 
in 

114 
109 
106 
103 

in.... 

100 

in.... 
in 

98 
94 

in.... 

in.... 

91 

87 

Sizes  of 
45  to  67  Ib. 
3*6  x  %  in. 

Continuous  . 
Bonzano    
Wolhaupter 
100  per  cent. 
Weber    

Bolts  to  go  with  Plain  Bars  of  the  Following  Sections: 
70  and  75  Ib.                80  and  85  Ib.                90  and  100  Ib. 
4  x  %  in.                   4%  x  %  in.                    5x1  in. 
Sizes  of  Bolts  to  go  with  Patented  Joints: 
45  to  67  Ib.       70  and  75  Ib.       80  and  85  Ib.     90  and  100  Ib. 
.....%  in.  x  3%  in.  %  in.  x  4      in.  %  in.  x  4^4  in.  %  in.  x  4^4  in. 
1  in.  x  4^4  in.     1  in.  x  4^4  in.     1  in.  x  4%  in.     1  in.  x  4%  in. 
....  1  in.  x  4^4  in.     1  in.  x  4%  in.     1  in.  x  4%  in.     1  in.  x  4Ms  in. 
1  in.  x  4%  in.     1  in.  x  5      in.     1  in.  x  5^4  in.     1  in.  x  5%  in. 
...  1  in.  x  5%  in.     1  in.  x  6      in.     1  in.  x  6%  in.     1  in.  x  6%  in. 

97 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

fourth  pole.  The  kegs  should  be  rolled  off  the  car  end- 
ways ;  if  they  hit  on  the  sides  they  may  run  down  an 
embankment  into  the  ditch. 

Distributing  Nut  Locks. — Nut  locks  are  usually  fur- 
nished in  boxes  of  1,000.  Table  4  gives  the  number  of 
joints,  measured  by  telegraph  poles,  for  which  one  box 
will  provide  nut  locks,  the  left  half  for  two  4-hole  joints 
requiring  8,  and  the  right-hand  half  for  two  6-hole  joints 


TABLE   4:      DISTRIBUTING   LOCK   NUTS. 
Nut  locks — 1,000  in  a  box — one  box  will  furnish  nuts  for 

4-hole  joints — 8  6-hole  joints — 12 

nut  locks  nut  locks 

Tele-  Tele-  Tele-         Tele- 

phone         phone  phone        phone 

Poles  150     Poles  200  .-Poles  150  Poles  200 

Joints         ft.  Apart     ft.  Apart    Joints    ft.  Apart  ft.  Apart 
33-ft.     rail....         124  27%  20%  83  18%  14i/2 

30-ft.     rail....         124  25  18%  83  _16%  12  % 


requiring  12.  A  few  nut  locks  are  likely  to  be  lost,  so  it  is 
advisable  to  disregard  the  fractions  (for  instance,  in  col- 
umns 3  and  4,  top  row  of  figures)  and  to  unload  a  box  of 
nut  locks  every  27  telegraph  poles  150  ft.  apart,  or  every 
20  telegraph  poles  200  ft.  apart.  Where  poles  are  only 
100  ft.  apart,  the  amount  of  track  material  to  be  unloaded 
will  be  one-half  of  that  for  the  200-ft.  spacing. 

Distributing  Track  Spikes. — Table  5  gives  the  number 
of  track  spikes,  of  the  sizes  commonly  used,  in  an  aver- 
age keg  of  200  Ib.  The  number  of  rail  lengths  which  one 
keg  will  full-spike  is  shown  in  columns  4  to  10,  inclusive. 
This  is  for  building  a  new  track.  For  relaying  it  is  the 
practice  to  provide  new  spikes  for  only  part  of  the  work 
and  to  require  the  gangs  to  use  many  of  the  old  spikes,  so 
for  relaying  it  is  best  to  make  the  distribution  in  the  same 
way  as  for  ties — to  count  up  the  number  of  kegs  and  dis- 
tribute them  at  equal  intervals.  If,  however,  it  is  planned 


RELAYING     RAIL 


to  provide  all  new  spikes  except  for  the  one  row  which 
was  left  in  the  ties,  one  keg  will  spike  a  third  more  rail 
lengths  than  is  given  in  the  table. 

Simultaneous  Distribution. — For  relaying,  the  cheapest 
and  best  way  to  distribute  the  joint  ties,  spikes,  angle 
bars  and  base  plates  or  joints,  bolts  and  nut  locks,  is  to 
make  up  a  train  to  do  all  this  work  at  once.  .With  care- 
ful work  it  is  possible  to  make  all  this  distribution 
without  stopping,  with  the  train  traveling  at  a  speed  of 
8  to  10  miles  an  hour.  The  cars  of  ties  should  be  placed  in 
the  rear  to  reduce  the  damage  of  a  possible  derailment 


TABLE  5:     DISTRIBUTING  TRACK  SPIKES 

One  keg  will  full  spike-rail  lengths 


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resulting  from  the  ties  falling  on  the  track.  The  writer 
has  used  this  method  many  times,  however,  without  a 
single  derailment. 

Sometimes  it  will  be  policy  to  include  the  joint  ties  in 
the  general  tie  distribution  and  wait  until  after  rail  is  re- 
laid  to  make  tie  renewals.  In  this  case  the  section  fore- 
man will  probably  distribute  the  ties  where  needed  pre- 
vious to  relaying. 

.  Operations  in  Relaying — A  competent  foreman  should 
be  placed  in  charge  of  relaying.  Good  gang  organization 
is  necessary  because  the  work  must  be  done  in  a  lim- 
ited time  and  traffic  must  be  maintained.  Relaying  requires 

99 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

the  following  operations:  (1)  The  old  rail  must  be  loosen- 
ed and  thrown  off  its  seat  before  the  new  rail  can  be 
placed ;  (2)  every  tie  must  be  carefully  adzed  where  the 
base  of  the  new  rail  is  to  lie;  (3)  the  new  rail  must  be 
put  in,  bolted  and  spiked. 

The  successive  steps  in  relaying  must  be  accomplished 
expeditiously  and  the  gang  should  be  so  organized  that  the 
gap  between  unspiked  old  and  new  rail  be  as  short  as  pos- 
sible, depending  on  the  size  of  gang.  Since  the  time  during 
which  the  track  may  be  used  for  the  actual  work  of  relay- 
ing is  limited,  everything  possible  should  be  done  before- 
hand to  reduce  or  expedite  the  work  to  be  done  after  the 
track  is  cut. 

It  is  very  essential  that  laborers  work  rapidly  while  the 
track  is  open.  By  marking  off  a  certain  amount  in  the 
morning  and  giving  the  men  to  understand  that  the  day's 
work  is  done  when  they  reach  that  point,  or  by  allowing 
a  rest  after  track  is  connected  up  for  a  train,  the  amount 
of  work  done  may  be  increased  materially. 

General  Methods  of  Relaying — Three  general  methods 
are  used  in  relaying,  which  are  briefly  as  follows:  (1)  A 
string  of  rails  as  long  as  can  be  laid  in  the  time  available 
between  trains  is  bolted  together  on  the  outer  ends  of  the 
ties  before  the  track  is  cut ;  when  traffic  allows,  the  spikes 
are  drawn  from  the  old  rails,  a  joint  is  broken,  the  string 
of  old  rails  is  lifted  over  the  new  ones  and  thrown  out  by 
the  liners,  the  intermediate  joints  being  disconnected  at 
leisure;  the  new  string  of  rails  is  lined  over  in  place  and 
then  spiked.  (2)  The  old  rail  is  thrown  out  and  the  new 
rails  set  up  one  at  a  time  by  the  rail  gang,  then  bolted  and 
spiked.  (3)  The  rails  are  laid  on  their  sides  on  the  ties 
with  ball  toward  the  old  rail;  the  old  rail  is  thrown  out 
and  the  new  rail  rolled  over  into  place. 

100 


RELAYING     RAIL  : 


The  two  disadvantages  in  using  method  (1)  are  that  it 
is  difficult  to  keep  the  joints  in  their  proper  relative  posi- 
tions and  to  keep  the  expansion  right  (trouble  with  expan- 
sion is  most  serious  on  curves,  because  one  side  is  thrown 
inward  and  tightened  up  and  the  other  is  thrown  outward 
and  loosened  up)  ;  and  ballast  is  carried  in  between  the 
rails  and  ties,  preventing  a  solid  bearing.  The  first  method 
has  the  advantage  of  reducing  the  time  the  track  is  held 
open,  but  the  amount  of  preliminary  work  is  greatly  in- 
creased. 

Method  (2)  does  not  have  the  objectionable  features  of 
method  (1)  and  in  general  produces  better  track ;  most 
track  men  now  prefer  to  set  the  rails  in  separately,  rather 
than  to  string  them  out.  In  method  (1)  the  force  may  be 
organized  to  swing  out  both  sides  of  the  track,  or  if  the 
force  is  not  sufficient,  one  side  only  may  be  put  in,  doub- 
ling back  to  finish  the  opposite  side.  It  is  realized  that  the 
latter  method  will  not  reduce  the  number  of  men  one-half, 
as  the  distance  covered  laying  one  rail  should  be  twice  as 
great,  requiring  nearly  the  same  number.  However,  it  will 
be  found  to  result  in  some  reduction  in  the  number  of  men. 
A  small  gang,  or  plenty  of  supervision  with  a  large  one,  is 
a  necessity  in  relaying  track,  as  all  laborers  must  be  kept 
under  close  supervision  to  perform  good  work. 

The  rails  should  be  relayed  against  the  current  of 
traffic.  In  laying  with  the  current  of  traffic,  the  train 
which  is  flagged  tends  to  destroy  the  expansion  because 
the  air-brakes  are  applied  on  the  new  rail.  Two  stops 
have  to  be  made  by  the  train,  one  where  the  flagman  is 
stationed  and  the  other  where  the  work  is  being  done. 
Under  these  conditions,  especially  where  rail  anchors  are 
not  immediately  applied,  the  expansion  will  be  spoiled 

101 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

despite  the  greatest  care  in  placing  expansion  shims  and 
the  use  of  the  rail  thermometers.  On  the  other  hand,  if 
the  rail  is  laid  against  the  current  of  traffic,  all  the  trains 
are  stopped  on  the  old  rail  and  the  expansion  of  the  new 
rail  can  be  kept  more  uniform. 

Modifications  of  Methods  (1)  and  (2)— Methods  (1) 
and  (2)  can  be  modified,  according  to  the  size  of  the  gang 
available,  as  follows :  Method  2-A — Setting  in  one  rail  at 
a  time,  working  both  sides  of  the  track;  this  requires  a 
large  gang ;  method  1-A — Lining  in  previously  connected 
rails,  both  sides  of  the  track  at  one  operation ;  method  2-B 
— Setting  in  rails  one  at  a  time,  on  one  side  only ;  the  gang 
required  is  nearly  as  large  as  that  required  for  method 
2-A;  method  1-B — Lining  in  one  side  at  a  time,  with  rails 
previously  connected ;  this  method  requires  the  small- 
est gang. 

The  third  organization  (2-B)  will  usually  permit  the 
foreman  to  oversee  nearly  all  the  details  of  the  work  him- 
self. It  is  important  that  only  short  stretches  be  laid  al- 
ternately on  each  side,  by  this  method,  otherwise  there  is 
danger  of  the  rail  joints  getting  badly  out  of  correct  rel- 
ative position. 

In  method  (3)  the  rails  are  laid  on  their  sides  on  the  ties 
just  outside  of  the  track  rails.  The  old  rails  are  thrown 
over  the  new  ones  when  putting  in  steel,  and  but  two  men 
are  required  to  tip  the  new  rails  into  position.  This  is 
an  especially  good  method  to  be  used  with  a  small  gang- 
where  trains  are  very  frequent,  as  it  reduces  the  number  of 
men  necessary  to  have  when  actually  laying  rails. 

At  times  during  the  day  when  rails  cannot  be  laid  on 
account  of  trains,  the  time  can  be  spent  adzing  ties  and 
jointing  up  track. 

A  number  of  railways  have  discontinued  spacing  or  slot 

102 


RELAYING    RAIL 


spiking  at  joints,  using  enough  rail  anchors  to  prevent  rail 
creeping.  This  method  has  many  staunch  advocates  and 
bids  fair  to  become  standard  practice. 

Preliminary  Work — The  shoulders  on  the  ties  are  adzed 
down  at  the  inside  of  one  and  at  the  outside  of  the  oppo- 
site rail.  The  claw  bar  men  precede  the  adzers,  and  draw 
as  many  spikes  as  is  considered  safe.  Care  should  al- 
ways be  taken  to  leave  the  ties  which  are  left  to  hold  the 
track  to  gage,  fully  spiked  on  both  rails.  Failure  to 
observe  this  rule  on  curves  is  likely  to  cause  a  wreck  on 
account  of  the  track  spreading,  as  the  ties  will  move  end- 
ways in  the  ballast,  being  spiked  on  one  end  only.  Unless 
the  weather  is  very  hot,  it  is  usually  safe  to  pull  two- 
thirds  and  sometimes  three-fourths  of  the  spikes.  If  the 
track  is  only  quarter  spiked,  trains  should  pass  at  slow 
speed,  and  it  is  well  to  maintain  an  order  that  all  trains 
should  be  brought  down  to  moderate  speed  in  territory 
where  rail  is  being  relayed. 

No  adzing  is  necessary  on  the  outside  of  the  line  rail 
unless  tie  plates  are  to  be  applied,  and  the  new  line  rail 
should  be  set  up  against  the  old  row  of  outside  spikes. 
Then  the  line  of  the  ties  will  be  preserved  and  new  ties 
may  be  easily  lined  up  with  the  old  ones. 

Pulling  Spikes — It  is  in  general  considered  the  better 
practice  to  pull  the  inner  line  of  spikes  when  relaying 
rails  of  the  same  size  as  the  old.  When  heavier  rail  is 
being  used  the  outside  spikes  of  one  rail  should  be  pulled 
and  the  inside  spikes  of  the  other.  Where  the  rail  is  so 
large  that  three  rows  of  spikes  must  be  pulled,  it  is  better 
to  pull  all  of  the  spikes  out  of  the  inner  rail,  on  curves, 
leaving  the  outside  spikes  on  the  outer  rail.  It  is  cus- 
tomary to  lay  the  larger  base  rail  by  pulling  only  two 
lines  of  spikes,  one  on  the  inside  and  the  other  on  the 

103 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

outside  of  the  rail ;  later,  the  third  row  of  spikes  is  pulled 
and  the  track  is  gaged  by  a  small  gang.  When  carrying 
on  the  work  in  this  manner,  the  head  gang  of  spikers 
should  drive  only  a  few  spikes  on  the  gage  rail,  as  they  not 
only  must  all  be  pulled  again  but  the  extra  spike  holes 
injure  the  ties. 

During  preliminary  work  all  spikes  should  be  removed 
from  joint  slots,  as  they  are  frequently  very  hard  to  pull 
and  cause  delay  if  left  until  setting  up  rails.  Two  men 
should  follow  the  spike  pullers  with  a  spike  punch 
and  spike  maul,  and  drive  down  all  stubs.  When  draw- 
ing spikes,  a  full  row  should  be  left  on  one  side  of  each 
rail,  the  old  rail  being  slid  out  and  the  base  of  the  new  one 
slid  under  the  heads  of  this  row  of  spikes. 

Method  2-A — At  the  time  of  actually  laying  rail,  a 
gang  »f  56  men  could  be  organized  as  follows,  subject  to 
variations,  depending  on  the  size  of  the  rail,  etc. 

Flagmen 2      Strap  hangers   2 

Head  spike  pullers 6      Bolt    tighteners 4 

Hammer  men    2      Spikers    6 

Head    liners 6      Back    liners 2 

Head    adzers 6      Tool  man   1 

Back  joint  spike  pullers....  1      Assistant  foremen   2 

Back  adzers 2      Foreman    1 

Steel    gang 12 

Expansion   shim  man 1  56 

The  gang  works  in  halves,  one  half  on  each  rail,  with 
the  exception  of  the  steel  gang  and  the  head  lining  gang, 
which  perform  the  work  on  both  sides.  The  spike  pullers 
draw  all  the  spikes  left  in  the  preliminary  work  on  the 
loosened  side  of  each  rail.  The  two  hammer  men  drive 
the  claw-bars  under  the  heads  of  those  spikes  which  the 
bars  cannot  grip  unaided.  If  first-class  claw-bars  are 
furnished,  fairly  expert  men  will  seldom  need  the  assist- 
ance of  the  hammer  men.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  poor 

104 


RELAYING     RAIL 


claw  bars  only  are  available,  six  hammer  men  may  be 
required  instead  of  two,  and  even  then  the  spike  pulling 
will  probably  be  slowed  up. 

The  liners  throw  the  old  string  of  rails  off  the  ties  on 
either  side.  One  man  places  a  pinch  bar  under  the  base 
of  the  rail  on  the  side  from  which  the  spikes  have  been 
pulled,  and  raises  the  base  of  the  rail  up  so  that  it  can  be 
slid  out  from  under  the  spikes  without  displacing  the  ties. 
On  the  side  of  the  track  from  which  the  inside  row  of 
spikes  was  removed,  the  rail  must  first  be  moved  inwards 
to  disengage  it  from  the  spikes  and. then  lifted  over  the 
spikes. 

After  the  rail  is  removed,  the  head  adzers  complete  the 
adzing  begun  in  the  preliminary  work.  The  ties  should 
be  adzed  low  enough  on  the  inside  to  have  the  rails  set 
vertical  or  even  canting  slightly  inward,  as  the  rail  tends 
to  cant  outward  in  service. 

A  back  spike  puller  (who  pulls  spikes  where  the  new 
joints  will  come)  and  two  adzers  follow  the  liners.  The 
back-adzers  provide  a  wide  bearing  on  the  ties  where  the 
new  joints  are  to  fall.  It  is  generally  easy  to  determine 
which  are  to  be  the  joint  ties  a  rail  length  'in  advance  of 
the  rail  gang,  by  counting  off  each  time  the  number  of 
ties  per  rail  length.  If  the  spikes  are  not  pulled  on  these 
new  joint  ties  the  joint  cannot  be  forced  to  gage,  since 
the  angle  bars  protrude  }/2  inch  or  more  beyond  the  rail 
base,  and  consequently  would  be  held  out  of  line.  In 
like  manner  the  spikes  which  were  in  the  old  track  joints 
will  stand  out  J^  in.  from  the  new  rails  and  so  they  must 
be  pulled  also  and  new  spikes  driven  at  such  points. 

Entering  the  rails  into  the  angle  bars  is  simpler  than 
when  laying  track  on  a  new  grade,  for  the  ties  form  a 
comparatively  level  surface.  The  rail  gang  sets  the  rail 

105 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

within  4  or  5  in.  of  the  row  of  spikes  left  in  the  ties,  and 
with  one  movement  slides  the  rail  backward  into  the  angle 
bars  and  sideways  under  the  heads  of  the  row  of  spikes. 
The  work  of  the  strap  hangers  does  not  require  as  much 
ingenuity  as  is  required  in  laying  new  track. 

Few  spikers  are  needed  at  the  time  track  is  being  laid, 
only  about  4  or  5  ties  per  rail  length  being  spiked,  and  it 
is  only  necessary  to  spike  these  on  one  side  of  the  rail, 
the  old  spikes  having  been  left  in  on  the  opposite  side. 
The  spikers  work  singly  instead  of  in  pairs. 

Expansion — The  importance  of  providing  correct  expan- 
sion when  laying  rails,  cannot  be  overestimated.  If  the 
track  is  laid  too  tight,  sun  kinks  will  result,  particularly 
if  there  is  an  insufficient  amount  of  ballast.  If  there  is 
plenty  of  ballast  tight  track  may  be  kept  from  kinking 
to  any  appreciable  amount,  but  it  will  frequently  show 
small  kinks  at  joints  and  the  track  will  appear  to  be  in 
imperfect  line.  It  is  impossible  to  surface  track  or  line  it 
if  it  is  too  tight,  for  no  sooner  is  the  track  loosened  than 
it  kicks  out  and  it  is  then  almost  impossible  to  get  it  back 
where  it  belongs  without  cutting  rails.  It  .is  also  extremely 
difficult  to  make  any  changes  in  such  a  track,  for  instance, 
to  put  in  a  switch  or  to  put  in  insulated  joints,  which  re- 
quire an  extra  half  inch  space  for  the  end  posts.  In  very 
tight  track  it  is  usually  advisable  to  wait  until  after  a 
switch  has  all  been  put  in,  to  measure  and  cut  the  pieces 
back  of  the  frog. 

Loose  expansion  is  likely  to  cause  the  rails  to  pull 
apart  in  the  winter  time,  leaving  a  joint  so  wide  open 
so  that  it  may  cause  a  wreck,  and  even  in  the  summer 
the  joints  may  be  so  wide  open  that  the  rails  will  be 
battered  and  spoiled  so  that  it  will  be  almost  impos- 
sible to  keep  the  joints  up  to  surface.  Cars  riding  over 

106 


RELAYING    RAIL 


open  joints  are  subjected  to  an  extra  jar  which  decreases 
the  life  of  the  rolling  stock.  This  damage  from  poor 
track  is  frequently  overlooked  by  railway  officials. 

Spiking — A  foreman  can  obtain  good  spiking  only  by 
very  careful  supervision  and  training  of  the  men.  Spikes 
should  always  be  driven  perpendicular  to  the  face  of  the 
tie.  If  driven  slanting,  their  holding  power  is  decreased 
and  they  are  difficult  to  pull.  Spikes  should  be  driven 
down  so  as  to  give  the  head  a  firm  hold  on  the  rail,  but 
should  not  be  struck  after  being  snug,  as  they  are  likely  to 
crack  under  the  head.  The  spikes  should  be  staggered— 
those  on  the  outside  of  the  rail  should  be  near  the  same 
edge  of  the  tie,  and  those  on  the  inside  of  the  rail  should 
be  on  the  opposite  edge  of  the  tie.  This  will  keep  ties 
from  slewing  around  or  rocking.  The  usual  practice  is  to 
place  spikes  at  least  1J^  in.  from  the  edge  of  hewn  or 
sawed  ties,  and  one-fourth  of  the  width  of  the  face  from 
the  edge  of  pole  ties.  On  curves,  the  best  practice  is  to 
double  spike  the  outsides  of  the  rails,  using  tie  plates  with 
two  holes  in  each  side. 

Whipping  Spikes — The  practice  either  of  "whipping 
spikes,"  or  bending  them  and  drawing  the  rail  in  while 
driving — is  to  be  severely  condemned.  It  should  never 
be  allowed  except  in  places  where  it  is  absolutely  impos- 
sible to  force  the  rail  in  against  the  gage  with  a  bar. 

Gaging — Track  should  be  gaged  at  the  time  of  relaying, 
if  there  are  a  sufficient  number  of  men  in  the  gang.  How- 
ever, where  time  is  limited,  the  gage  rail  is  usually  spiked 
temporarily  against  the  old  spikes,  and  the  track  gaged 
later  by  a  small  gang  which  keeps  the  track  safe  for  traf- 
fic while  doing  the  work.  Where  "base-plates,"  i.  e.,  joint 
plates,  are  used,  the  track  must  be  surfaced  soon  after 
relaying,  or  else  the  ties  must  be  adzed  for  the  new  plater 

107 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

and  shims  used  under  the  rails  where  the  old  plates  were. 
Failure  to  surface  the  track  shortly  after  it  is  relayed 
will  allow  rails  to  become  surface-bent. 

Supervision — In  general,  one  assistant  foreman  has 
charge  of  the  rail  gang,  and  a  second  assistant  is  required 
to  oversee  the  work  of  throwing  the  old  rail  off  the  ties. 
Careful  attention  is  necessary  to  prevent  some  of  the  ties 
being  caught  on  the  rail  and  dragged  out  of  line  and  sur- 
face by  a  protruding  spike-stub,  an  inadequately  adzed 
shoulder,  or  by  the  binding  of  the  spike  head  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  rail. 

Tool  Man — The  tool  man  follows  the  gang  and  brings 
up  the  push  car.  He  removes  the  expansion  shims  at  a 
distance  not  less  than  about  ten  rail  lengths  behind  the 
steel  gang,  and  loads  the  shims,  together  with  stray  tools 
and  excess  track  fastenings,  on  the  car.  If  expansion 
shims  are  removed  nearer  than  about  ten  rail  lengths  from 
where  the  steel  is  being  set  up,  the  rails  may  be  driven 
backwards  by  the  gang  setting  up  steel  and  in  this  way 
the  expansion  allowance  will  be  taken  up  and  tight  track 
result.  On  the  push  car  a  pair  of  switch  points  should 
also  be  carried  to  be  used  in  making  temporary  track 
connections. 

Flagging — The  foreman  must  properly  protect  the 
track  by  sending  out  flagmen.  He  must  arrange  the 
amount  of  work  attempted  so  as  to  have  the  track  ready 
for  all  regular  trains,  and  the  work  should  progress  in 
a  manner  such  as  to  cause  no  greater  delay  than  about 
15  minutes  to  extras.  These  duties  are  in  addition  to 
those  of  a  track  foreman  on  double  track  work. 

Temporary  Connection — To  make  a  temporary  connec- 
tion, a  joint  in  the  string  of  old  rails  is  broken  and  the 
switch  points  of  the  same  size  and  weight  as  the  old  rail 

108 


RELAYING     RAIL 


are  used  in  the  gap  formed  between  the  old  and  new  rails. 
The  points  should,  if  possible,  be  put  in  ''trailing" ;  that 
is,  the  wheels  should  pass  over  from  heel  to  point,  other- 
wise there  is  danger  that  a  sharp  flange  may  force  its  way 
between  the  point  and  the  rail  and  thus  cause  a  derail- 
ment. For  a  temporary  connection  to  let  only  one  train 
over,  the  points  can  be  put  in  trailing  on  single  track.  But 
where  the  connection  will  be  used  by  several  trains,  some 
of  them  will  probably  run  over  the  connection  point-on. 
A  screw  clamp  has  been  designed  to  hold  the  point  rigidly 
against  the  rail,  and  these  should  always  be  provided 
where  points  are  put  in  track  as  an  over-night  connection. 

The  switch*  rail  should  be  shortened,  to  lighten'  it,  and 
make  it  easier  to  apply,  by  cutting  off  a  piece  at  the  heel, 
leaving  enough  rail  back  of  the  plowed  portion  to  hold 
the  angle  bars.  The  switch  rails  should  then  be  drilled ; 
compromise  angle  bars  should  be  provided  and  these 
should  be  bolted  to  the  switch  rail  and  never  taken  off — 
it  being  merely  necessary  to  loosen  the  bolts  when  taking 
the  points  out. 

Jointing  Up — Where  slot  spikes  are  depended  upon  to 
anchor  the  rail,  the  track  should  be  jointed  up  the  same 
day  it  is  laid.  Sometimes  this  is  hardly  possible,  how- 
ever, on  account  of  traffic  conditions.  If  track  is  not 
jointed  up,  the  rail  may  run  and  cause  the  expansion  to 
be  distributed  unevenly. 

Rail  Anchors — Rail  anchors,  where  needed,  should  be 
applied  the  same  day  rail  is  laid,  for  it  takes  fewer  anchors 
to  prevent  creeping  than  to  stop  it  after  it  has  started 
creeping. .  Where  rails  are  not  anchored  at  joints  it  is 
especially  necessary  that  the  rail  anchors  be  applied  at 
time  of  relaying. 

Since  the  function  of  a  rail  anchor  is  to  prevent  the 

109 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

rail  from  creeping,  the  first  requirement  is  that  it  shall 
be  fastened  absolutely  to  the  rail.  A  rail  anchor  that 
loosens  at  all  is  likely  to  loosen  on  account  of  the  rail 
backing  up,  this  being  particularly  true  when  there  is 
frost  in  the  ground  and  the  rail  anchor  is  held  by  the 
frozen  ground.  It  therefore  seems  reasonable  to  assume 
that  the  rail  anchor  should  either  be  made  so  that  it  will 
prevent  creep  in  both  directions,  or  be  provided  with 
some  spring  appliance  which  will  return  the  anchor  to 
its  original  grip  after  it  has  been  loosened. 

So  many  rail  anchors  have  caused  trouble. by  falling 
off  that  it  is  particularly  profitable  to  keep  accurate 
records  of  these  appliances.  Records  kept 'by  a  number 
of  disinterested,  intelligent  track  foremen  will  quickly 
determine  which  anchor  is  staying  on  the  rail  and  really 
preventing  rail  creeping.  A  railway  can't  afford  to  buy 
any  anchor  which  does  not  hold  the  rail. 

Size  of  Gang — A  relaying  gang  should  number  about 
60  men,  when  laying  track  under  this  method.  The 
number  of  laborers  is  much  more  important  here  than  in 
double  tracking,  because  a  track  being  relayed  must  be 
in  condition  for  trains  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  while 
in  double  tracking  trains  are  not  run  on  the  part  directly 
under  construction.  A  gang  too  small  to  permit  the  dis- 
posing of  a  sufficient  number  of  laborers  on  each  detail 
will  accomplish  less  work  per  man,  and  the  work  will  be 
more  arduous  for  both  laborers  and  foreman. 

Some  types  of  joints  require  that  the  joint  ties  be  spaced 
before  the  rails  can  be  bolted  up.  In  that  case  sufficient 
men  must  be  delegated  to  the  work  of  moving  ties  ahead 
of  the  jointers. 

Method  2-B — When  setting  in  one  rail  at  a  time,  one 
side  only,  it  is  possible  to  reduce  the  force  somewhat,  and 

130 


RELAYING    RAIL 


a  connection  can  be  made  more  easily  and  quickly,  as  only 
one-half  the  work  is  necessary.  The  difficulty  in  this 
method  is  in  keeping  joints  from  running  ahead  or  be- 
hind. 

If  the  gang  is  small,  or  if  there  is  a  shortage  of  men, 
this  method  works  out  to  advantage,  for  the  gang  can 
go  ahead  a  short  distance,  throw  out  the  rail  and  prepare 
the  ties  for  new  rails;  then  they  can  double  back,  set 
up,  bolt  up,  and  spike  a  stretch  of  track.  When  the  gap 
is  closed,  another  short  stretch  on  the  opposite  side  may 
be  torn  up,  or  the  track  may  be  closed  up  to  let  a  train  by. 

Method  1-A— The  organization  required  when  lining 
in  previously  connected  rails,  both  sides  at  once,  would 
be  somewhat  as  follows: 

Flagmen    2      Spikers     4 

Head  spike  pullers 6       Tool  man    1 

Hammer    men 2      Back    liners 2 

Head   liners 6      Assistant  foremen   2 

Back    spike-pullers 1      Foreman    1 

Back  adzers  2  — 

Lining   gang 4    to  6  36 

Expansion    shim    man 1 

Method  1-B — This  method,  lining  in  previously  con- 
nected rails  one  side  at  a  time,  is  adapted  to  a  compara- 
tively small  number  of  laborers.  The  whole  gang  can 
go  ahead  pulling  spikes,  adzing,  and  throwing  out  the  old 
rails  on  one  side,  then  double  back  and  line  in  the  new 
rails  and  spike  them  in  place. 

With  this  method  also,  it  is  difficult  to  keep  joints  from 
running  unevenly.  If  one  side  of  the  track  is  not  laid 
further  than  6  to  10  rails  ahead  of  the  other,  however,  the 
joints  could  be  kept  even  enough.  Rails  should  never  be 
strung  out  around  a  curve,  as  the  expansion  will  be  either 
decreased  or  increased  when  the  rail  is  thrown  in,  due  to 
the  lengthening  or  shortening. 

Ill 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

Method  3 — The  following  organization  for  35  men  has 
been  used  by  one  large  railway  when  laying  track  under 
Method  3 : 

6  adzers.  16  rail  layers. 

9  claw  bar  men.  1  water  boy. 

2  men  driving  stubs.  1  tool   man. 

The  claw  bar  men  pull  two  and  start  the  third  (outside) 
spike ;  each  man  being  assigned  every  ninth  rail,  which  is 
marked  with  chalk,  thus  making  it  easy  to  check  up  the 
work  of  each  man.  The  16  rail  layers  lay  the  rails  on 
the  ties  with  the  ball  toward  the  old  rail  and  about  10  in. 
from  it.  When  relaying,  it  only  requires  2  men  to  roll 
the  rails  in  and  shove  them  against  the  spikes. 

In  the  morning  the  gang  is  started  out  as  above  and 
it  is  said  5,000  to  6,000  ft.  of  rails  may  be  placed  on  the 
ties  by  10  o'clock.  It  is  then  possible  to  put  in  160  rail 
lengths  in  3  hours  on  an  average  day  when  about  6  con- 
nections are  made.  The  flags  are  sent  out  at  10  o'clock 
and  the  gang  rearranged  as  follows  : 

2  flagmen.  8  bolters. 

3  claw  bar  men.  2  men  making  compromise  con- 

4  rail  liners.  nection. 

1  assistant  foreman.                         3  men    distributing    angle    bars, 

1  engineer  with  shims.  bolts,  spikes,  etc. 

1  laborer  turning  in  rails.              1  water   boy. 

2  men  holding  rails  for  spikers.l  tool  man. 
8  spikers. 

The  claw  bar  men  pull  out  the  remaining  spikes,  one 
man  being  assigned  to  pull  the  spikes  at  joints  and  the 
other  two  to  pull  the  rest  of  the  spikes  on  the  rail.  The 
engineer  carries  the  expansion  shims  and  places  them  as 
the  laborers  push  the  rails  back.  The  laborer  who  works 
with  him  has  a  small  bar  which  he  uses  to  turn  the  rails 
up  with. 

The  costs  for  laying  a  stretch  of  18  mi.  where  100  Ib. 

112 


RELAYING     RAIL 


rail  was -being  put  in  to  replace  75  Ib.  rail  was  given  in 
the  Railway  Age  Gazette  as  follows : 

Labor — Foreman,  Assistant  Foreman  and  Engineer $3,066.00 

Labor — Foreman,  Assistant  Foreman  and  Engineer  put- 
ting in  14  switches - 490.00 

Labor — Unloading    Material „ 216.00 

Work  train,  including  fuel  and  engine  house  expenses....      620.00 

Total 4,392.00 

Per  mi.  $244.00 — Less  cost  of  laying  switches  and  cost  of 
work  train — $177.33  per  mi.  Per  ft.  .0335. 

The  average  number  of  feet  laid  per  man  per  day  was 
47 y4  ft.;  the  average  for  10  hours  was  95^2  ft.  Negro 
labor  was  employed  and  the  work  was  done  in  the  early 
summer.  There  were  12  trains  from  7  A.  M.  to  6  P.  M. 
and  on  the  average  8  connections  were  made  every  day. 

Madden  Rail  Handling  Machines — The  Madden  rail 
handling  machine  consists  essentially  of  a  light,  but 
strong  steel  frame,  supporting  at  the  rear  end  a  drum 
operated  by  two  cranks,  upon  which  is  wound  the  hoist- 
ing chain  to  which  the  rail  hooks  are  attached.  The 
machine  is  supported  upon  wheels  designed  to  run  on 
the  track.  The  two  double  flanged  wheels  at  the  rear 
are  fixed,  but  the  two  flat  wheels  at  the  front  are  mounted 
upon  axles  which  can  be  swung  under  the  frame  when 
the  machine  is  being  used  for  track  laying. 

The  A-frame  supporting  the  forward  part  of  the  ma- 
chine rests  upon  the  ties  when  ready  to  swing  a  new  rail 
into  position,  the  base  of  the  A-frame  resting  about 
6  in.  inside  of  the  rail.  A  detachable  counter  balancing 
lever  is  provided,  having  a  platform  upon  which  splice 
bars,  spikes,  or  other  track  material  can  be  placed  to  pro- 
vide the  desired  counter  balancing  effect. 

When  ready  to  move,  two  men  grasp  the  handles  pro- 
vided for  that  purpose  and  the  entire  machine  is  bal- 

113 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

anced  upon  the  double-flanged  wheels  and  pushed  to  the 
desired  position.  If  both  old  rails  are  still  in  place,  the 
machine  can  be  run  on  the  four  wheels,  either  light  or 
carrying  a  load  suspended  from  the  hoisting  chain.  Three 
men  are  required  to  operate  this  machine. 

The  Haddix  Rail  Handling  Machine— The  Haddix 
machine  consists  of  a  derrick  mounted  on  a  three- 
wheel  car,  designed  to  be  operated  by  a  gasoline  engine 
or  hand  power,  as  desired.  This  machine  differs  rad- 
ically from  others,  in  that  it  is  designed  to  operate  on  the 
rails  which  have  been  thrown  out  of  the  track.  The  three 
wheels  are  double-flanged,  and  the  third  is  free  to  move 
in  and  out  on  a  long  axle,  as  the  distance  between  rails 
becomes  greater  or  less.  The  car  can  be  operated  as  well 
on  a  varying  gage  as  on  a  uniform  gage. 

If  in  relaying  it  is  desired  to  set  up  both  sides  at  the 
same  time,  the  car  is  placed  on  the  old  rails  which  have 
been  moved  out  to  the  edge  of  the  ties.  If  setting  up 
only  one  side  of  the  track  at  a  time,  the  third  wheel  is  at 
such  a  distance  back  of  the  head  wheel  on  the  opposite 
side,  that  the  derrick  boom  will  reach  to  the  middle 
point  of  the  rail  ahead.  Thus  the  car  can  operate  on 
the  old  rail  on  one  side,  and  on  the  new  rails  on  the 
other  side.  The  feature  of  a  wheel  movable  crossways 
on  its  axle  makes  this  machine  fully  adaptable  for  use 
under  any  conditions. 

Laying  Rail  with  Locomotive  Cranes — The  Lehigh 
Valley  has  laid  a  large  amount  of  rails,  using  a  locomo- 
tive crane  instead  of  tongmen.  On  one  of  these  jobs 
the  men  were  organized  as  follows : 

14  men  pulling  spikes  from  old  rails  in  advance  of  machine. 
6  men  assisting  machine  in  handling  rail   (of  which  one  oper- 
ated the  rail  clamps,  one  spiked  each   end  of  the   rail  in 
place,  one  forced  the  rail  in  against  the  row  of  old  spikes 

114 


RELAYING    RAIL 


with  a  bar  and  two  men  guided  the  new  rail   into  place, 
one  man  at  either  end). 
2  men  cut  the  joints  on  the  old  rails  at  intervals  of  about  15- 

rail  lengths. 

25  men  spiked  and  gaged  the  new  rail. 
25  men  put  on  splices. 

6  men   with   picks   and    shovels   moved   the    ties    to    clear   the 
joints. 

The  Lehigh  Valley  as  a  result  of  this  experiment  has 
now  adopted  as  standard  the  practice  of  unloading  all  new 
rails  with  machines,  laying  with  locomotive  cranes,  and 
picking  up  the  old  rail  by  machines  the  same  day  it  is 
released.  This  road  has  decided  that  the  work  is  done 
faster  and  more  economically,  with  a  reduction  of  inter- 
ference and  delay  to  traffic. 

Cutting  Rails — An  excellent  method  for  cutting  rails 
is  as  follows :  Chisel  mark  the  rail  to  a  depth  of  about 
y%  in.  on  both  sides  of  the  web  and  base  (not  the  ball) 
with  a  sharp  track  chisel.  Turn  the  rail  on  its  side  with 


Fig.  6. — Easy  and  Quick  Way  of  Breaking  Rail. 

ends  blocked  up  on  ties  and  spring  down  with  bars  or  by 
having  men  stand  on  it  and  in  the  meantime  place  a  chisel 
in  the  cut  close  to  the  base  and  strike  it  with  a  heavy  ham- 
mer until  a  small  crack  appears  in  the  cut.  The  rail  should 
then  be  turned  over  on  its  other  side  and  the  operation 
repeated.  Finally  the  rail  may  be  turned  ball  up  and  a 
heavy  b!ow  struck  on  an  old  chisel  held  above  the  cut, 

115 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

with  the  men  standing  on  the  rail ;  one  blow  will  usually 
be  enough.  The  chisel  should  be  held  directly  above  the 
cut  and  then  a  clean,  straight  break  will  be  made.  The 
chisel  cuts  should  all  lie  in  a  plane  perpendicular  to  the 
axis  of  the  rail,  and  the  cutting  chisel  should  be  struck  only 
light  square  blows  or  the  edge  may  be  broken  or  chipped. 

A  fairly  good  cut  can  be  made  as  follows:  (See  Fig. 
6.)  Cut  the  top  of  the  flange  of  the  rail  on  one  side, 
deeply  from  edge  to  web,  with  a  sharp  chisel.  Turn  the 
rail  on  its  side  with  the  cut  down,  next  to  a  rail  on  the 
track  and  with  ends  resting  on  blocks.  Four  men  with 
bars  obtain  a  leverage  under  the  ball  of  the  rail,  and 
bear  heavily  on  it  while  a  man  strikes  a  blow  on  the 
chisel  held  near  the  base  on  the  web  of  the  rail,  above  the 
cut.  When  the  rail  cracks  in  the  cut  on  the  lower  part  of 
the  base,  it  is  turned  on  the  opposite  side  and  the  opera- 
tion repeated.  The  rail  is  then  turned  ball  up  and  one 
sharp  blow  on  the  chisel  held  in  the  cut  in  the  base  will 
usually  break  it. 

Rails  cut  in  the  first  way  mentioned  often  show  a 
smoothness  of  face  rivaling  that  of  a  sawed  rail.  An 
older  method  of  breaking  a  rail  was  to  chisel  mark  the 
ball  in  addition  to  the  web  and  flange.  A  short  piece  of 
rail  or  "dutchman"  was  placed  under  the  cut,  one  end  of 
the  rail  was  lifted  high  off  the  ground  by  a  number 
of  men,  and  allowed  to  drop.  The  last  method  has  the 
following  disadvantages:  (a)  It  exposes  men  to  the 
danger  of  being  caught  under  the  falling  rail  and  in- 
jured; (b)  it  requires  more  cutting  and  therefore  more 
time;  (c)  it  requires  more  men;  (d)  it  does  not  produce 
as  clean  a  break.  The  ease  with  which  a  rail  breaks 
depends  not  so  much  on  the  depth  as  on  the  straight- 
ness  and  sharpness  of  the  grooves  cut  in  it.  If  the  rail 

116 


RELAYING     RAIL 


is  hot  the  process  of  cracking  may  be  facilitated  by 
chilling  it  with  cold  water  at  the  point  where  the  rail 
is  chisel  marked. 

For  cutting  a  short  piece,  say  6  ins.,  off  the  end,  the  rail 
should  be  marked  as  described  above.  It  should  then  be 
turned  ball  down,  the  chisel  placed  in  the  cut  in  the  base 
directly  above,  the  web  and  the  cutting  continued  until  the 
rail  finally  breaks.  Or  one  of  the  new  type  rail  benders 
may  be  used  to  break  the  short  piece  off. 

The  use  of  hack  saws  for  cutting  rails  is  becoming 
common.  Several  hack  saw  machines  are  on  the  mar- 
ket, which  eliminate  the  disadvantages  of  the  old  hack 
saw,  that  is,  breaking  of  blades,  slow  progress,  poor  cuts, 
and  back  breaking  work.  The  Schmidt  hack  saw,  it  is 
claimed,  will  cut  an  average  weight  rail  in  about  40 
minutes.  The  tool  is  handled  by  one  man  and  the  labor 
cost  is  not  any  more  and  probably  less  than  cutting  a  rail 
with  a  chisel,  which  takes  at  least  two  men.  There  is 
great  advantage  in  using  one  of  these  machines,  particu- 
larly with  a  poor  class  of  labor. 

Curving  Rails — The  American  Railway  Engineering 
Association  recommends  that  rails  should  be  curved  for 
all  curves  of  2  deg.  or  over.  If  rails  are  spiked  on  a 
sharp  curve  without  previously  curving  them,  it  will  be 
almost  impossible  to  keep  them  in  line  as  they  will  tend 
to  straighten  out  in  the  track.  The  heavy  rail  sections 
which  are  now  used  make  curving  even  more  imperative 
than  formerly.  The  natural  tendency  of  a  rail  is  to  lay 
straight  and  that  is  the  reason  that  curved  tracks  should 
always  be  laid  with  broken  joints,  especially  if  the  rails 
have  not  been  curved,  then  the  centers  will  tend  to  move 
inward  and  this  tendency  will  be  resisted  by  the  joints 
opposite,  which  tend  to  move  outward. 

117 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

Rail  Benders — The  roller  rail  bender  is  generally  used 
for  curving  rails.  A  common  type  of  bender  consists  of 
two  rollers  which  are  placed  on  one  side  of  the  rail 
and  a  third  roller  which  is  placed  on  the  opposite  side. 
The  roller  can  be  turned  by  a  long  lever  operated  by  a 
number  of  men  or  by  a  horse ;  or  it  may  be  moved  along 
the  rail  as  it  is  being  bent. 

Widening  of  Gage — As  in  curve  elevation,- opinions 
regarding  the  widening  of  gage  on  curves  have  changed 
radically  in  the  last  few  years.  It  is  no  longer  deemed 
necessary  to  widen  the  gage  under  four  degrees  and 
many  engineers  are  not  widening  the  gage  on  curves  ol 
less  than  eight  degrees.  The  tendency  of  wide  gage  is 
to  cause  excessive  wear  on  the  rails.  A  table  is  given 
in  the  Appendix  showing  the  amount  of  widening  which 
the  American  Railway  Engineering  Association  recom- 
mends for  curves  of  different  degrees. 


118 


CHAPTER  VI. 
BALLASTING  AND  SURFACING. 

"There  are  three  fundamental  operations  in  main- 
taining track :  Maintaining  gauge,  maintaining  surface 
and  maintaining  line.  These  various  operations  must 
be  carried  on  in  a  definite  way,  and  while  the  forces 
tending  to  hold  the  track  to  gauge,  surface  and  line,  and 
the  various  appliances,  are  more  or  less  interdepend- 
ent, the  fact  remains  that  the  track  must  first  be 
brought  to  gauge,  then  to  surface  and  then  to  line. 
These  three  divisions  or  operations  cover  the  major 
part  of  the  trackman's  work. 

"Now  there  are  three  different  situations  which 
arise  in  maintaining  surface  or  getting  a  track  to 
surface:  (1)  a  track  that  has  not  been  ballasted,  and 
which  it  is  desired  to  ballast  and  put  to  surface;  (2) 
a  track  which  has  been  ballasted  and  in  which  the 
ballast  has  either  worn  out  or  become  foul,  or  in 
which  sags  have  appeared,  and  which  it  is  desired  to 
give  a  general  lift  out  of  face,  renewing  the  ballast 
in  whole  or  in  part;  (3)  the  very  common  operation 
of  simply  surfacing,  or  as  we  generally  call  it,  'a  light 
lift  out  of  face/ 

"It  might  be  possible,  although  I  do  not  think  it 
necessary,  to  make  a  still  further  division,  namely: 
'picking  up  joints."'  "* 


*From  a  letter  to  the  author  from  Mr.  F.  R.  Layng,  engineer 
of -track  of  the  Bessemer  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad. 

119 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

The  writer  believes  that  the  big  thing  in  doing  any 
kind  of  surfacing  is  to  get  the  scheme  of  organiza- 
tion right,  and  the  main  part  of  the  organization  is 
the  manner  in  which  the  track  jacks  are  handled,  includ- 
ing the  number  of  men  assigned  to  them,  the  system  of 
organizing  the  tie  tampers,  etc.  And  while  the  work 
for  doing  the  three  kinds  of  surfacing  mentioned  above 
is  different,  still  as  far  as  the  organization  of  the  gang 
is  concerned,  it  is  mainly  a  difference  of  quantity  of 
men  assigned  on  different  details  and  not  of  the  system 
of  organization.  Where  a  higher  raise  is  being  made, 
there  must  be  more  men  filling  in  and  fewer  men  tamp- 
ing; but  the  general  scheme  of  organization  still  holds 
good. 

Where  a  raise  above  6  in.  is  being  made,  it  will  fre- 
quently be  necessary  to  use  four  jacks,  two  jacks  in  the 
front  simply  springing  up  the  track  to  prevent  surface- 
bent  rails  and  to  make  the  work  of  the  regular  jacks 
easier  and  faster.  For  raises  under  6  in.  two  jacks 
will  generally  suffice  unless  an  unusually  large  gang  is 
being  used.  The  author  believes  that  the  gang  should 
be  kept  small  enough  so  that  the  raising  can  be  done  by 
two  jacks,  because  it  is  very  much  easier  to  get  a  good 
top  on  the  rail  and  to  use  the  jacks  efficiently  so  that 
none  of  them  will  be  delayed,  if  only  two  are  used,  and 
the  joints  and  centers  raised  to  the  spot  so  that  the  jacks 
will  not  have  to  double  back  to  raise  centers. 

A  good  deal  of  time  can  be  saved  by  raising  the  track 
above  the  spot  and  dropping  it  quickly  without  waiting 
for  the  tampers  to  tamp  the  tie  thoroughly.  This  method 
requires  good  judgment  on  the  part  of  the  track  raiser, 
but  it  greatly  increases  the  speed  of  the  jacks.  In  fact, 
the  jacks  do  not  have  to  be  held  at  all.  The  jack  men, 

120 


BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

with  a  good  track  raiser,  will  be  signaled  to  drop  the 
jack  just  as  soon  as  they  get  through  pumping  it  up, 
and  when  the  track  raiser  becomes  able  to  judge  the 
work  of  the  jack  tampers,  he  can  gage  his  raise  so 
well  that  there  will  be  little  hammering  down  to  be 
done  after  the  jacks  are  dropped. 

It  is  the  policy  of  some  railroads  to  raise  tracks 
out  of  a  face  each  year.  It  does  not  seem  possible 
that  any  ordinary  track  with  a  good  foundation  should 
require  such  expensive  maintenance.  There  is  al- 
ways the  disadvantage  that  in  raising  the  track  out  of 
a  face  to  care  for  a  few  low  spots,  the  solid  tamped 


Fig.  8 — Longitudinal  Section  of  Track  on  New  Grade  After  Being 
Used  by  Construction  Trains. 

bed  under  possibly  90  per  cent  of  the  rail  is  being 
discarded.  A  raise  out  of  face  about  once  in  three 
years  will  usually  be  found  advisable  in  tracks  of, 
say  A  and  B  class,  under  medium  and  heavy  traffic. 
Preparation  of  Subgrade  on  New  Track — When 
trains  run  over  a  track  on  a  level-topped  grade  before 
it  is  ballasted,  the  ties  sink  into  the  dirt  several  inches, 
the  depth  depending  on  the  compactness  of  the  soil, 
amount  of  moisture,  etc.  A  longitudinal  section 
would  then  look  something  like  Fig.  8.  Dirt 
should  be  leveled  off  to  the  bottom  of  the  ties  before 
ballast  is  applied  to  such  a  roadbed.  One  of  two 
methods  may  be  followed :  The  whole  grade  can  be 
cut  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  tie  and  the  dirt  thrown 
over  the  shoulder,  or  the  track  can  be  raised  and  the 

121 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

dirt  between  the  ties  tamped  under  ther-.  The  lat- 
ter method  is  usually  followed,  and  leaves  the  top  of 
the  roadbed  somewhat  like  the  cross  section  in  Fig.  9. 
After  the  track  has  been  ballasted  the  center  part 
of  the  subgrade  will  continue  to  settle,  so  that  even 
if  the  top  is  made  level  before  ballasting,  the  sub- 
grade  will  gradually  assume  a  trough  or  dish-like 
shape.  The  depth  of  this  trough  may  easily  be  from 
8  to  15  in.  on  a  subgrade  of  fairly  good  material.  It 
is  this  condition  which  is  often  to  blame  for  the  fre- 
quent raising  of  track  out  of  face  and  the  application 
of  more  ballast,  when  in  reality  what  the  track  needs 


Fig.   9 — Transverse   Section  of  Track  on   New  Grade  After  Being 
Used   by  Construction   Trains. 

is  merely  drainage.  In  the  recent  valuation  of  rail- 
roads many  places  have  been  found  where  the  bal- 
last was  4  ft.  or  more  thick,  where  the  track  still 
was  settling  and  where  orders  were  constantly  being 
made  for  more  ballast  with  which  to  raise  the  track. 
Since  gravel  and  crushed  stone  are  pervious,  rain 
water  soon  penetrates  to  the  subgrade  and  if  it  is 
dished,  or  even  if  the  original  depressions  made  by 
the  ties  in  the  subgrade  are  left,  the  water  will  ac- 
cumulate and  the  subgrade  will  become  continually 
softer.  The  softening  of  the  grade  allows  the  ballast 
in  the  track  to  settle  further  and  further  and  the  con- 
dition becomes  continually  worse.  The  water  which 
collects  in  this  manner  must  soak  through  the  side  of 

122 


_  BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

the  subgrade  before  it  is  rid  of.  If  the  surface  of  the 
subgrade  were  higher  in  the  middle  than  on  the 
shoulders,  or  even  if  it  were  level,  the  water  which 
penetrates  the  ballast  would  find  a  natural  outlet 
along  the  top. 

It  is  a  good  idea  to  dig  down  the  shoulders  of  the 
subgrade  10  or  12  in.,  just  before  ballasting,  pro- 
vided the  top  of  the  subgrade  is  dished,  thus  making  a 
cross  section  similar  to  Fig.  10.  The  dirt  obtained 
in  this  manner  may  be  used  for  widening  the  banks 
where  they  are  narrow,  or  can  be  thrown  in  between 
the  ties,  and  the  track  raised  sufficiently  to  take  this 
dirt,  which  may  merely  be  tamped  with  shovel 


_ 

^VU-'i'.^V 

\ 

Fig.  10—  Suggested  Method  of  Finishing  Top  of  Sub-Grade. 

handles.  After  this  is  done  and  traffic  is  turned  on 
the  track  for  a  few  days,  the  subgrade  will  be  in  ex- 
cellent shape  for  the  application  of  ballast.  The  final 
approximate  appearance  of  a  cross  section  after  the 
application  of  ballast  would  then  be  like  Fig.  11. 

Every  precaution  should  be  taken  to  make  the  sub- 
grade  solid  and  compact  when  it  is  built.  Since  much 
construction  work  is  rushed  through  hurriedly,  how- 
ever, this  is  not  always  possible.  Where  the  dirt  is 
dumped  off  of  high  trestles  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
get  the  subgrade  in  good  condition  for  ballast,  while 
in  other  places  the  subgrade  may  be  built  in  the  winter 
and  large  chunks  of  frost  used.  When  the  frost  goes 
out,  of  course,  such  a  grade  will  settle. 

123 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

The  dishing  of  the  grade  and  its  effect  have  been 
well  recognized  by  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad, 
which  now  requires,  as  one  of  its  standards,  a  drain  in 
all  double-track,  consisting  of  a  line  of  tile  laid  in  the 
center  of  the  grade  between  tracks,  with  outlets  to  the 
ties. 

Preparation  of  Old  Grade  for  Reballasting — Before 
reballasting  an  investigation  should  be  made  at  a  num- 
ber of  points,  by  digging  down,  to  find  the  depth  of 
the  old  ballast  and  the  condition  of  the  subgrade.  If  it 
is  found  to  be  dished  badly  some  provision  should  be 


5/o/?e  Ballast 


Fig.  11 — Final  Approximate  Appearance  of  a  Grade  Finished  as 
Shown    in   Fig.    10. 

made  for  drainage  before  placing  a  new  coat  of  ballast. 
Many  methods  have  been  advocated  for  the  draining 
of  dished  or  pocketed  subgrades.  Among  them  might 
be  named  tiling,  French  drains,  pole  ditches  and  ordi- 
nary ballast  drain  ditches.  If  the  ballast  is  clean, 
ditches  at  right  angles  to  the  track  may  be  dug  down 
in  the  shoulder  to  a  depth  of  about  6  in.  below  the 
lowest  point  of  the  trough  under  the  track.  Such 
ditches  need  be  made  only  a  shovel  width  wide  and 
would  be  effective  where  the  subgrade  is  not  dished 
more  than  about  one  foot.  These  ditches  should  be 
filled  with  clean  ballast. 

The  Baltimore  &  Ohio  and  the  Cincinnati  Hamil- 
ton &  Dayton  have  recently  used  a  spreader  for  tak- 

124 


BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

ing  down  the  shoulder  on  embankments  where  the 
drainage  was  poor.  The  shoulders  were  cut  down  far 
enough  to  make  them  lower  than  the  trough  in  the 
center  of  the  track.  The  work  was  done  at  a  very 
low  cost,  and  has  already  resulted  in  a  great  improve- 
ment in  the  track  maintenance  on  the  district  sub- 
jected to  this  process. 

After  subdrainage  work  has  been  taken  care  of,  the 
stripping  gang  should  remove  the  old  ballast  to  about 
one  or  two  inches  above  the  bottoms  of  the  ties  in  the 
center,  sloping  out  to  the  bottoms  of  the  ties  at  the 
outer  end,  and  off  to  the  edge  of  the  grade ;  or  the 
sloping  from  the  ties  to  the  edge  of  the  grade  may  be 
done  by  a  spreader  at  considerably  lower  cost.  Leav- 
ing 2  in.  of  old  ballast  in  the  center  of  the  track  will 
prevent  the  ties  from  moving  or  twisting  until  the  new 
ballast  is  applied. 

There  is  one  other  explanation  for  the  track  settling 
into  the  subgrade  besides  improper  design  and  con- 
struction of  subgrades.  The  whole  track  structure,  as 
it  is  now  built,  is  being  overworked,  and  in  turn,  over- 
stresses  the  subgrade.  Part  of  the  solution  of  this 
problem  is,  therefore,  the  strengthening  of  the  track 
structure  as  a  whole — the  use  of  heavier  rail,  more 
ties,  greater  depth  of  ballast  and  more  care  in  the 
preparation  of  the  subgrade  of  the  track.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  is  impossible  to  rebuild  old  subgrades.  Most 
of  our  roads  were  built  for  light  traffic,  and  none  too 
well  built  at  that.  And  since  most  of  the  subgrades 
were  poorly  built,  the  biggest  part  of  the  problem, 
after  all,  is  the  drainage. 

The  gang  which  is  stripping    out    the    track    should 

125 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

space  the  ties  and  tap  down  all  loose  spikes,  so  that  the 
ties  will  come  up  snug  to  the  rail  when  raised. 

Type  of  Ballast  Cars — No  matter  what  type  of  bal- 
last cars  is  being  used,  the  foreman  should  carefully 
examine  the  ballast,  in  case  there  is  likely  to  be  any 
which  is  unfit  for  use ;  and  cars  of  poor  ballast  should 
be  switched  out  before  the  train  starts  to  unload. 
Ballast  cars  may  be  roughly  divided  into  three  classes 
— center  dump,  side  dump  and  plow  cars.  Cars  used 
for  plowing  are  also  frequently  called  side  dump. 

Wherever  the  dirt  or  ballast  is  stripped  out  from 
between  the  ties,  center  dump  cars  will  be  found  to  be 
the  more  efficient.  They  drop  the  ballast  in  such  man- 
ner that  it  can  be  spread  and  then  put  under  the  track 
with  practically  no  rehandling.  Where  the  track  is 
not  to  be  stripped  out  (and  this  does  not  happen  very 
often  unless  a  very  light  raise  is  being  given)  it  may 
be  impossible  in  some  cases  to  drop  enough  ballast  in 
the  center  of  the  track  to  give  the  desired  amount  for 
the  raise.  In  most  cases,  however,  where  the  raise  is 
high,  the  dirt  or  ballast  will  have  been  stripped  out; 
and  in  cases  where  the  raise  is  low,  usually  the  center 
dump  cars  will  give  enough  of  a  spread  anyway.  With 
other  methods  of  unloading,  more  equipment  and  the 
rehandling  of  the  ballast  are  necessary.  An  engine, 
plow  and  cable  are  used  extensively  in  ballast  work. 
With  this  method,  as  with  center  dumps,  the  train  can 
be  moved  along  as  it  is  being  unloaded,  thus  prevent- 
ing the  ballast  from  piling  up  and  burying  the  wheels 
of  the  train. 

The  air  side  dump  cars  or  Lidgerwood  and  side 
plow  are  especially  adaptable  to  making  a  high  fill 

126 


BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

where  the  track  may  be  constantly  lined  over  to  the 
edge  of  the  fill,  as  the  work  progresses.  Air  dump 
cars,  however,  cannot  be  used  as  standard  equipment 
for  winter  service,  and  so  they  are  not  used  very  exten- 
sively in  ballasting  work.  The  Hart  Convertible  car 
can  be  used  either  for  center  dump  or  for  plowing, 
and  is  convertible  into  a  standard  gondola  car,  for  use 
in  the  winter.  A  great  many  trackmen  favor  cars  of 
this  type. 

Sags — Where  there  are  sags  of  6  in.  or  more  in  the 
track  which  is  to  be  ballasted,  these  should  be  taken 
out  before  the  general  distribution  of  ballast.  This 
will  make  it  possible  for  the  surfacing  gang  to  bring 
the  track  uniformly  up  to  the  stakes.  Raising  the  sags 
first  also  makes  it  unnecessary  to  haul  ballast  through 
the  surfacing  gang  and  distribute  it  back  of  them,  as- 
suming that  the  surfacing  is  progressing  toward  the 
gravel  pit. 

Unloading  Ballast — If  the  ballast  is  being  unloaded 
from  center  dump  cars,  the  car  at  the  head  end  of  the 
train  should  be  opened  first  and  the  following  ones 
opened  in  rotation  as  required;  then  the  empty  cars 
will  not  have  to  run  over  the  track  where  ballast  has 
been  unloaded. 

An  experienced  gang  of  men  should  be  used  on  the 
unloading.  Inexperienced  men  are  likely  to  dump  too 
much  in  a  place  and  to  stall  the  train  or  derail  the 
cars.  A  spreader  or  track  plow  should  be  used  at  the 
rear  of  the  train  to  plow  the  ballast  out  over  the  shoul- 
der, and  should  throw  out  enough  gravel  from  the 
flangeway  to  prevent  stones  from  being  struck  by 
trains.  The  train  should  be  kept  in  motion  while  the 

127 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

gravel  is  being  unloaded,  and  not  more  than  two  or 
three  cars  should  be  opened  at  one  time.  The  second 
car  may  be  opened  gradually  as  the  ballast  is  dumped 
from  the  first,  the  third  after  the  second,  etc.  By 
handling  this  work  carefully  an  even  distribution  can 
be  obtained. 

If  no  track  plow  or  spreader  is  available  the  gravel 
may  be  plowed  off  by  using  ties  in  front  of  the  car, 
piled  so  that  there  will  be  a  practically  perpendicular 
face,  enough  being  used  behind  the  front  row  to  solidly 
brace  against  the  wheels  of  the  car.  When  plowing 
off  in  this  manner  the  wheels  of  the  car  will  slide  and 
become  flat,  unless  shoes  are  provided.  Shoes  for  this 
purpose  are  made  of  iron  straps  about  3  in.  by  J^  in.  in 
section,  bent  in  a  curved  form  at  the  bottom  to  fit  the 
wheels,  with  a  straight  vertical  leg  ending  in  a  hoop 
which  fits  over  the  top  tie.  The  front  pair  of  wheels 
is  pushed  up  onto  these  shoes,  the  shoes  sliding  on  the 
rail,  and  thus  protecting  the  wheels.  This  method  of 
spreading  ballast  is  not  to  be  recommended.  Not  only 
does  it  fail  to  throw  the  ballast  far  enough  out,  but  it 
does  not  flange  out  the  track,  and  it  packs  the  ballast 
down  solidly,  so  that  when  raising,  the  ties  are  likely 
to  drop  off  on  account  of  the  pressure.  Roger  Ballast 
or  Hart  Convertible  cars,  used  for  center  dump,  have 
been  unloaded  for  6  cents  per  car,  for  the  time  actually 
used  in  unloading. 

Ballast  Handling  Equipment — Only  heavy,  well- 
designed  track  or  car  plows  and  substantially-built 
spreaders  should  be  used,  so  that  there  will  be  little 
delay  because  of  breakdowns,  plows  jumping  off  of 
cars,  or  spreader  getting  off  the  track.  A  powerful 
locomotive  is  a  necessity  for  operating  a  spreader,  for 

128 


BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

a  poor  engine  will  be  stalled  frequently,  and  is  likely 
to  tie  up  traffic,  besides  holding  up  the  work.  Spread- 
ers are  subjected  to  particularly  rough  service  in  coarse 
ballast,  yet  they  must  keep  to  the  track  to  give  a  uni- 
form spread. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  is  good  reason  for  ballasting 
against  the  current  of  traffic.  Otherwise  all  trains  which 
are  flagged  will  make  two  stops  on  the  track  which  has 
been  newly  raised  and  where  the  ballast  is  loose — one 
stop  at  the  flag  and  one  at  the  work.  This  is  likely  to 
cause  the  track  to  start  creeping,  whereas,  if  the  stops  are 
made  on  the  old  track  which  has  been  undisturbed,  there 
will  be  no  likelihood  of  the  track  creeping  any  more  than 
it  does  under  ordinary  conditions.  Before  surfacing  the 
track,  a  laborer  should  be  sent  ahead  to  tamp  down  all 
loose  spikes,  so  that  the  ties  will  come  up  snug  with  the 
rail  when  it  is  raised.  This  will  save  the  time  and 
trouble  of  nipping  up  the  ties  for  the  men  to  tamp. 

When  track  is  surfaced,  it  should  be  filled-in  imme- 
diately and  dressed  up  enough  so  that  water  from  a  rain 
storm  will  not  penetrate  to  the  subgrade,  and  thus  let 
the  track  down. 

SURFACING. 

Organization — In  the  organization  of  a  surfacing 
gang  the  work  should  be  arranged  so  that:  (1) 
Laborers  will  not  have  to  double  back,  and  thus  cover 
an  extra  amount  of  territory.  (2)  Men  will  not  have 
to  pass,  but  will  always  follow  each  other  in  the  same 
order.  In  this  way  time  will  be  saved,  while  in  the 
tamping  good  work  will  be  mixed  with  poor,  resulting 
in  a  more  uniform  job  throughout.  When  laborers  have 
to  pass  each  other,  as  they  would,  for  instance,  if 
each  gang  of  tampers  tamped  a  complete  rail  length, 

129 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

there  may  be  a  lot  of  time  wasted  visiting  as  the  labor- 
ers from  the  back  pass  the  others  in  proceeding  to  the 
front. 

With  67  men,  the  following  organization  will  be 
found  efficient : 

1  spot  board  man. 

2  jack  hole    diggers. 
6  jack  men. 

4  jack  tampers. 

4  men  filling  in  for  jack  tampers. 

1  hammer  man. 

1  levelboard  man. 

8  men  filling  in. 
16  men  tamping  ends. 

8  men  filling  centers. 
16  men  tamping  centers. 

Total  67 

General  foreman,  1;  assistant  foreman,  1. 

Spotboard  Man — The  spotboard  man  sets  up  the 
spotboard  on  the  stakes  and  levels  it;  or  in  case  there 
are  no  stakes,  he  sets  it  from  sights  made  by  the  fore- 
man with  his  blocks.  Two  spotboards  should  always 
be  provided,  so  that  the  spotboard  man  may  be  set- 
ting up  one  while  the  foreman  is  sighting  to  the  one 
in  the  rear.  A  spotboard  bracket  should  be  used;  it 
consists  of  a  steel  slot  with  a  point,  which  is  driven 
into  the  ground ;  the  spotboard  rests  in  the  slot  at  the 
top,  and  is  thus  prevented  from  blowing  over  or  fall- 
ing off  the  stakes. 

Jack  Hole  Diggers — Jack  holes  should  be  dug 
about  two  ties  ahead  of  the  joints  .and  about 
the  same  distance  ahead  of  the  centers  of  the  rails. 
Jack  holes  should  always  be  made  level  on  the'bottom 
and  plenty  large  enough  for  the  jack  blocks.  If  the 
hole  is  made  rounding  toward  the  ends,  all  the  strain 

130 


BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

will  come  on  the  end  of  the  jack  board,  breaking  or 
bending  it. 

Jack  Men — Three  men  should  handle  each  jack,  two 
of  them  carrying  the  jack  forward,  the  third  carrying 
the  jack  block.  An  ordinary  joint  plate  makes  an 
excellent  jack  block,  if  provided  with  a  handle  by 
twisting  wire  around  through  the  spike  slot  holes. 
Extra  jack  boards  should  be  provided,  so  that  the  man 
who  handles  them  may  move  on  ahead  of  the  gang  and 
set  the  plates  in  advance,  while  the  joint  in  the  rear 
is  being  raised. 

Jack  Tampers — Two  jack  tampers  should  be  as- 
signed to  each  jack,  so  that  it  will  not  be  necessary  for 
the  jack  men  to  drop  the  handle  and  do  the  tamping. 
The  jack  tampers  should  start  working  just  as  soon  as 
the  men  start  to  raise,  so  that  by  the  time  the  raiser 
gives  the  word,  "High,"  the  tie  will  be  tamped  suffi- 
ciently so  that  the  jacks  may  be  dropped  immediately. 
It  requires  both  skill  and  practice  for  the  track  raiser 
to  become  so  expert  that  he  will  not  raise  the  joints 
too  high  or  too  low.  Once  this  method  is  mastered, 
however,  vastly  greater  progress  can  be  made. 

Men  Filling  for  Jacks — Two  men  should  be  assigned 
to  each  jack,  to  fill-in  ballast  for  the  tampers.  The 
best  men,  and  plenty  of  men,  should  be  used  around 
the  jacks.  With  a  gang  organized  in  this  manner,  two 
jacks  will  raise  as  much  track  as  a  gang  of  67  men  can 
finish,  when  the  raise  is  not  more  than  6  in. 

Levelboard  Men — The  level  man  should  stay  with 
the  jacks  and  see  that  both  sides  are  brought  up  to- 
gether. If  one  side  of  the  track  is  brought  up  first  and 
tamped,  the  first  side  will  be  raised  too  high  when  the 

131 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

other  side  is  leveled,  because  the  tie  will  rest  on  the 
ballast  at  its  outer  end  and  tip  up ;  also  this  will  leave 
a  space  under  the  tie  where  there  is  no  ballast.  The 
levelboard  man  should  set  the  spotboard  block  for 
the  foreman.  Or  the  level  may  be  trimmed  down  to 
the  correct  height  on  one  side  and  used  instead  of  a 
spotboard  block. 

Hammer  Man — The  hammer  man  should  carry  a 
wooden  sledge  and  not  a  spike  maul.  The  track  should 
never  be  lifted  so  high  that  more  than  one  or  two 
blows  will  be  required  to  bring  it  down  to  the  spot. 
The  hammer  man  should  carry  an  extra  spotboard 
block,  so  that  the  joint  may  be  sighted  and  knocked 
down  while  the  jacks  are  being  moved  ahead. 

Men  Filling  Ends — Eight  men,  four  on  a  side,  should 
fill-in  for  the  tampers.  This  work  should  be  care- 
fully supervised,  as  a  tie  tamped  with  insufficient  bal- 
last represents  wasted  work. 

Organization  of  Tampers — The  tampers  should  be 
organized  to  tamp  the  track  in  the  following  manner : 
If  there  are  four  pairs  of  tampers  on  the  ends,  each 
side,  the  head  pair  should  tamp  every  fourth  tie,  the 
next  pair  the  tie  behind  that,  the  third  gang  the  next 
to  the  last  tie,  and  the  last  gang  the  .last  tie.  The 
center  tampers  should  follow  a  similar  system.  Be- 
sides keeping  the  men  working  close  together,  without 
interfering  with  each  other,  this  method  makes  it  pos- 
sible to  get  more  work  out  of  men  who  would  other- 
wise "soldier."  And,  more  important  still,  the  track 
as  a  whole  is  tamped  in  a  more  uniform  manner. 
Under  the  old  method,  where  each  pair  of  tampers  was 
assigned  a  rail  or  half-rail  length,  the  sections  tamped 

132 


BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

by  the  best  tampers  stood  up  better  than  the  rest,  and 
consequently  the  track  settled  unevenly  and  became 
rough.  Where  the  good  tamping  is  mixed  with  the 
poor,  the  whole  track  is  more  likely  to  settle  uniformly. 

Center  Filling  and  Tamping — The  centers  should  be 
tamped  about  16  in.  inside  the  rail  on  low  lifts  and 
all  the  way  across  on  high  lifts.  The  men  filling  should 
not  be  allowed  to  rob  some  places  of  gravel  and  leave 
a  surplus  in  others. 

Tamping  Tools — When  the  lift  is  more  than  \y2  in. 
it  is  better  to  allow  for  settlement  and  tamp  with 
shovels  instead  of  tamping  bars  (except  in  stone  bal- 
last). When  the  raise  is  small  and  the  bed  is  hard,  the 
tamping  bar  is  the  most  efficient  tool ;  but  it  is  seldom 
that  tamping  with  bars  is  profitable  in  surfacing  new 
track,  as  the  subgrade  settles  so  much  that  the  track 
will  get  out  of  surface,  no  matter  how  well  the  tamping 
has  been  done. 

Recently  tamping  machines,  which  operate  by  air, 
have  been  put  on  the  market  and  used  successfully. 
There  is  no  question  but  that  they  are  of  exceptional 
value  around  interlocking  plants,  or  at  other  points 
where  it  is  hard  to  do  tamping  with  picks. 

The  Track  Raiser — An  active  man  with  a  good  eye 
makes  the  best  track  raiser.  He  should  be  careful  to 
sight  from  about  the  same  distance  back  of  his  jack 
each  time,  and  should  raise  joints  and  centers  with 
the  spot,  thus  making  it  unnecessary  for  the  laborers 
to  double  back  and  raise  the  centers.  In  other  words, 
he  should  raise  the  joint,  then  the  center  ahead  to  the 
spot,  then  the  joint  ahead,  etc. 

Foreman  and  Assistant  Foreman — One  of  the  assist- 

133 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

ant  foremen  should  raise  the  track  and  the  other 
should  look  after  the  tamping.  The  foreman  should 
keep  a  general  supervision  over  the  whole  work,  look 
after  the  flagmen,  watch  the  time  cards,  and  see  that 
no  part  of  the  work  is  holding  up  the  gang.  If  the 
jacks  are  inclined  to  lag,  more  or  better  men  should  be 
put  around  them ;  if  the  end  tampers  are  holding  back 
the  center  tampers,  the  force  should  be  rearranged. 
The  track  foreman  should  constantly  be  studying  out 
new  ways  of  arranging  the  men  or  the  work,  to  lessen 
the  amount  of  labor  necessary  in  raising  a  given 
amount  of  track.  Many  foremen  hang  to  the  methods 
which  they  learned  when  they  were  first  employed  on 
track,  and  consequently  do  not  get  out  as  good  or  as 
much  work  as  a  man  who  is  up-to-date. 

Tamping  Centers — Track  centers  must  be  tamped 
when  making  a  high  lift,  and  this  is  especially  true 
of  mud  or  dirt-ballasted  tracks.  When  making  a  low 
raise  on  an  old  track  the  centers  should  be  tamped  for 
about  16  in.  inside  each  rail,  but  not  directly  in  the 
center  of  the  track,  as  that  is  likely  to  cause  center 
binding.  When  tamping  centers  all  the  way  across, 
the  heaviest  tamping  should  be  next  to  and  under  the 
rail,  but  the  ballast  should  be  tamped  under  the  center 
sufficiently  to  completely  fill  the  space  and  not  leave 
pockets  which  may  be  filled  by  the  first  rain.  On  a 
bridge  approach  the  track  should  be  raised  higher  than 
the  bridge.  The  fill  settles  and  the  embankment  tends 
to  spread,  while  the  bridge  stays  up.  Such  places 
should  be  inspected  and  raised  again  after  each  rain,  if 
necessary. 

Lining  Track — The  foreman,  in  lining  track,  should 

134 


BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

stand  with  his  back  to  the  sun,  if  possible.  For  lining 
out  long  swings  he  should  stand  as  far  away  from  the 
gang  as  possible,  giving  his  orders  entirely  by  motions. 
In  this  way  he  can  line  the  joints  and  centers  to  an 
approximate  line,  or  if  necessary,  he  can  take  every 
fourth  or  fifth  joint  and  throw  this  to  correct  line,  and 
then  go  back  and  line  the  rest  of  the  track  to  these 
correct  points.  In  lining  out  short  kinks,  where  the 
general  line  is  correct,  the  foreman  should  get  much 
closer  to  the  gang,  so  that  he  can  see  the  small  imper- 
fections. 

In  lining  up-grade  the  foreman  should  sight  the 
track  from  both  directions,  as  this  is  a  point  where  the 
line  frequently  is  not  good,  because  the  track  beyond 
the  summit  cannot  be  seen.  The  foreman  will  save  a 
good  deal  of  time  by  looking  at  such  a  piece  of  track 
from  both  directions  before  he  starts  work  on  it.  Par- 
ticular pains  are  required  in  lining  the  points  of  curves 
and  the  adjacent  tangent  track.  The  foreman  should 
look  at  such  places  from  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  to  be  sure  that  he  get  the  track  in  correct  line. 

The  policy  of  leaving  long  swings  in  the  track,  rather 
than  to  take  the  time  and  trouble  to  line  them  out,  is  to 
be  strictly  condemned.  The  writer  knew  of  an  in- 
stance where  a  swing  of  6  in.  was  taken  out  of  a  piece 
of  track,  it  requiring  about  three-fourths  of  a  day  of  a 
large  extra  gang's  time.  This  track  had  been  gone 
over  by  two  extra  gangs  before  that  time,  both  gangs 
having  left  the  swing  in  the  track  rather  than  spend 
the  time  to  correct  it.  The  foreman  who  finally  took 
it  out  got  a  black  mark  for  spending  so  much  time  at 
lining. 

135 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

The  proper  length  of  string"  to  use  for  lining  curves 
is  62  ft.  long.  The  deflection  at  the  middle  of  such  a 
string  will  be  1  in.  for  each  degree  of  curve.  For 
instance,  on  a  6  deg.  curve,  the  rail  should  be  lined 
within  6  in.  of  the  string  at  its  center.  The  cord  can 
then  be  moved  ahead  a  half  length,  or  31  ft.,  and 
another  point  lined  out  6  in.  from  the  center  of  the 
string,  and  so  on,  all  the  way  around  the  curve.  The 
parts  of  the  track  between  these  points  should  then  be 
lined  by  eye.  Many  railways  are  now  spiralling  or 
easing  their  curves,  and  while  many  methods  have 
been  evolved  for  determining  the  points,  it  is  best  for 
the  trackman  to  have  the  engineer  lay  out  such  curves. 

Records — Records  made  in  surfacing  track  are  a 
fine  endorsement  for  a  foreman,  providing  the  work  stays 
up,  or  provided  he  gets  far  enough  away  before  it  goes 
down,  so  that  he  cannot  be  held  responsible.  But  low 
lifts  and  omitted  tamping  on  a  new  track  simply  repre- 
sent company  money  thrown  away,  although  the  indi- 
viduals concerned  sometimes  succeed  in  attaining  their 
own  advancement.  This  condition  would  not  exist  if 
less  emphasis  were  laid  on  the  number  of  feet  of  track 
raised  per  day,  and  more  attention  paid  to  the  quality 
of  the  work.  As  it  is  now,  many  of  those  in  charge  of 
track  foremen  are  concerned  only  with  the  amount  of 
track  raised,  and  not  with  the  permanence  of  the  work. 

Time  to  do  Surfacing — The  author  gave  some  costs 
in  "Practical  Track  Work,"  which  showed  that  surfacing 
done  in  the  spring  was  twenty  per  cent  cheaper  than 
that  done  in  summer.  This  was  because  better  labor- 
ers were  obtainable  at  that  time,  the  weather  was  cool, 
and  the  ballast  was  softer  and  more  easily  worked. 

136 


BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

Another  reason  why  surfacing  out  of  a  face  should  be 
done  as  early  as  possible  in  the  spring  is  that  tie  rer 
newals  may  then  be  made  at  the  same  time  The 
renewals  cannot  only  be  made  much  more  cheaply  in 
this  way,  but  the  disturbance  of  the  roadbed  is  de- 
creased. Further,  the  ballast  has  the  maximum  time 
to  become  compacted,  before  the  winter  season. 

Height  of  Raise — A  raise  up  to  9  in.  may  be  made 
in  one  lift.  If  more  than  a  6  in.  raise  is  being  made, 
however,  two  "swing  jacks"  should  be  used  in  advance 
of  the  raising  jacks,  to  spring  the  track  up  enough  so 
that  the  rails  will  not  be  surface  bent.  No  tamping  is 
necessary  with  the  forward  jacks,  as  the  ballast  will 
run  in  sufficiently  to  hold  the  track  up.  Where  a  12  in. 
raise  is  being  made  there  should  be  two  lifts.  After 
making  the  first  lift  in  stone  ballast,  the  stone  should 
simply  be  bladed-in  clear  across  the  tie  and  not  bar 
tamped.  On  the  second  lift  the  bars  or  tamping  picks 
should  be  used  and  the  centers  tamped  16  in.  inside 
the  rail.  When  a  raise  of  9  in.  or  over  is  being  made, 
the  track  should  not  be  shouldered  up  until  the 
smoothing  gang  has  gone  over  the  work  and  picked  up 
the  low  spots  which  have  developed. 

'General  Notes— When  starting  a  new  gang  the  fore- 
man should  be  careful  to  see  that  the  tamping  is  done 
right.  New  men  are  likely  to  tamp  against  the  side 
and  not  under  the  tie,  particularly  if  the  raise  is  2  in. 
or  less.  It  is  difficult  for  some  men  to  grasp  the  idea 
of  how  to  shovel-tamp  a  tie,  and  the  foreman  will  have 
to  exercise  a  good  deal  of  patience  in  teaching  them. 
It  is  best  to  teach  by  example,  the  foreman  or  assistant 
foreman  taking  hold  of  the  shovel  and  making  the 

137 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

motions  slowly,  so  that  the  green  man  may  gradually 
learn  how  it  is  done. 

When  filling-in  for  the  tampers,  the  assistant  fore- 
man or  foreman  should  not  allow  gravel  to  be  taken 
from  a  spot  where  it  is  short,  nor  should  he  allow  the 
men  to  dig  borrow  pits.  If  this  work  is  watched  close- 
ly and  the  ballast  cast  from  places  where  there  is  too 
much,  to  places  where  there  is  not  enough,  there  will 
be  little  redistribution  to  make  behind  the  surfacing 
gang. 

The  track  should  be  lined  daily,  before  filling  cen- 
ters. If  the  track  is  not  too  tight,  it  should  be  lined 
at  night  and  centers  filled  in  as  close  up  to  the  front  as 
possible,  in  order  to  be  prepared  for  rain.  If  the  track 
is  tight  it  may  be  impossible  to  line  the  kinks  out  of 
it  until  the  following  morning,  when  the  rails  have 
contracted. 

,The  track  should  be  dressed,  finally,  to  the  standards 
of  the  road.  A  template  is  a  very  handy  appliance  for 
use  in  shouldering.  It  consists  of  a  long  plank,  similar 
to  the  spotboard,  which  is  laid  across  the  track,  having 
depending  boards  placed  at  the  proper  points  to  indi- 
cate the  edge  of  the  shoulder,  its  top  and  slope.  A 
ballast  spreader  can  also  be  used  for  shouldering. 

dough's  Method  of  Stone  Ballasting— A.  M.  Clough, 
a  supervisor  of  track  of  the  New  York  Central  Rail- 
road, has  developed  a  method  of  applying  stone  bal- 
last, which  deserves  mention  here.  A  separate  strip- 
ping gang,  which  keeps  a  mile  of  track  stripped  ahead 
of  the  surfacing  gang,  is  used.  Enough  stone  is  run  in 
the  center  of  this  track  to  hold  the  ties  to  line  and  to 
keep  them  from  moving  out  of  place  or  being  twisted ; 

138 


BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

this  is  done  each  morning,  or  at  most,  every  second 
morning,  so  that  there  is  very  little  stripped-out  track 
ahead  of  the  surfacing  gang.  The  foreman  takes  out 
stone  enough  in  the  morning  for  a  day's  work  for  the 
surfacing  gang,  and  after  the  stretch  of  track  for  which 
stone  has  been  distributed  has  been  raised,  the  men 
are  through  for  the  day.  With  this  method  the  trains 
are  operated  at  full  speed  over  the  track  being  sur- 
faced. 

The  organization  is  about  as  follows : 

2  jack  hole  men.  20  men  tamping  ends. 
8  jack  men  (for  jacks).  8  men  lining  track. 

4  additional   men   with   the      2  water  boys. 

jacks.  1  foreman. 

1  levelboard  man.  2  assistant  foremen. 

4  men  filling  in. 

With  the  head  pair  of  jacks  no  tampers  are  neces- 
sary, these  merely  springing  up  the  rails,  so  that  they 
will  not  be  bent  by  making  too  high  a  lift  at  one  time. 
The  stones  are  loose  and  run  in  under  the  ties  suffi- 
ciently to  hold  up  the  track.  The  following  jacks 
raise  joints  and  centers  with  the  spotboard  blocks,  one 
joint  and  one  center  tie  being  tamped  with  the  bars 
and  knocked  down  a  little  with  the  sledge.  There  are 
two  men  with  each  jack,  and  two  additional  men  for 
tamping  and  filling-in,  besides  the  level  man.  One  of 
the  extra  men  forks-in  ballast,  and  the  other  knocks 
down  the  joint  with  a  wooden  sledge.  The  jacks  and 
the  men  working  on  them  are  in  charge  of  the  assist- 
ant foreman,  who  does  the  raising. 

Back  of  this  gang  four  men  fill  in  the  ends  with 
ballast,  two  men  working  on  each  side  of  the  track. 
The  tamping  spade,  a  light  and  efficient  tool  for  this 
work,  is  used  and  the  ballast  merely  bladed  in.  Tamp- 

139 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

ers  are  arranged  in  five  gangs  on  each  side  of  the  track, 
each  gang  being  numbered.  The  half  rail  lengths 
ahead  of  the  gang  are  numbered  likewise,  1,  2,  3,  4 
and  5,  and  each  gang  has  to  take  the  half  rail  marked 
with  its  number.  In  the  afternoon  the  gang  runs  back 
over  the  work,  raising  any  low  spots  which  have  de- 
veloped, and  tamping  16  in.  inside  of  the  rails  on  both 
sides. 

An  assistant  foreman  and  8  men  are  kept  lining 
track  all  the  time.  A  week  after  the  gang  has  left  the 
work,  the  section  foreman,  with  about  10  men,  follows 
and  does  whatever  additional  raising  is  necessary,  after 
which  there  is  a  further  light  dressing  of  ballast  and 
a  final  dressing  up  of  the  track. 

The  advantages  stated  for  this  method  are:  (1) 
The  stone  is  handled  when  loose,  two-thirds  of  it  going 
to  its  place  by  gravity.  (2)  The  men  can  see  the 
end  of  the  day's  work  and  will  work  faster  making  it 
possible  to  do  a  larger  day's  work.  (3)  This  organ- 
ization breeds  rivalry  between  the  various  members 
of  the  gang.  (4)  It  gives  an  easy  way  of  identifying 
the  work  of  each  gang  of  tampers. 

Some  criticism  of  this  method  has  been  made,  many 
roadmasters  objecting  to  allowing  trains  to  pass  over 
stripped  track  at  full  speed.  The  writer's  opinion  is 
that  the  method  of  having  each  gang  of  tampers  tamp 
a  tie  and  then  skip  enough  ties  for  the  following 
gangs,  results  in  more  uniform  work  and  better  organ- 
ization. 

It  is  handy  to  have  two  rails  with  the  surfacing  out- 
fit, about  6  in.  shorter  than  the  standard  rails,  so  that 
in  case  the  track  kinks,  the  short  ones  can  be  put  in, 

140 


BALLASTING    AND     SURFACING 

in  place  of  standard  rails,  and  there  will  be  no  delay 
to  traffic.  The  standard  length  rails  should  be  left  at 
that  location,  so  that  in  the  winter,  when  the  track 
shortens  up,  the  standard  length  rails  may  again  be 
put  in. 

Another  Method  of  Stone  Ballasting — The  follow- 
ing organization  has  been  used  by  a  prominent  track- 
man: 

1  foreman.  4  jack  hole   diggers. 

1  assistant  foreman  raising  13  jack  men. 

track.  20  tampers. 

1  assistant    foreman    lining  8  liners. 

track.  1  water  boy. 

2  flagmen. 

There  are  two  such  gangs  used.  The  first  gang  raises 
the  track  \y2  in.  below  the  grade  stakes,  and  shovel 
tamps  the  ends  only.  The  ties  are  spaced  and  renewed 
where  necessary,  and  ballast  is  unloaded  then  from 
center  dumps.  Wooden  mauls  are  used  for  spacing 
ties.  The  pressure  of  the  ballast  will  fill  in  under  the 
ties  and  leave  enough  ballast  in  the  middle  of  the  track 
for  the  second  lift.  This  method  saves  center  tamp- 
ing on  the  first  lift,  and  also  saves  the  work  of  fill- 
ing in. 

The  second  gang  follows  in  from  5  to  7  days  to  make 
the  final  lift.  This  is  pick-tamped,  and  is  raised  l/2  in. 
above  the  stakes,  which  gives  about  a  4-in.  raise.  The 
centers  are  tamped  about  18  in.  inside  of  the  track 
only. 

The  spotting  gang  follows,  after  several  days,  and 
picks  up  the  low  spots,  which  are  then  tamped  in  the 
centers  with  picks.  The  finishing  ballast  is  not  put  on 
until  after  the  spotting  gang  has  got  through,  and 

141 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

there  is  perfect  surface  and  line.  With  this  method 
there  is  only  one  handling  of  the  ballast — none  by 
hand — except  cleaning  off  the  ties  which  were  covered 
by  the  finishing  train. 

To  reduce  the  setting  of  jacks,  when  swing  jacks 
are  used,  the  jack  men  exchange  each  time,  the  swing 
men  simply  raising  up  their  jacks  and  leaving  them 
set  for  the  gang  of  lifters.  The  lifting  gang  carries 
its  jacks  ahead  and  exchanges,  and  the  swing  gang 
then  moves  ahead  and  makes  the  next  lift. 

Tools — Jerry  O'Connor,  of  the  Minneapolis  St.  Paul 
&  Sault  Ste.  Marie  Railroad,  recommends  that  an 
organization  of  50  to  100  men,  under  the  supervision 
of  one  foreman,  two  assistant  foremen  and  one  time 
keeper,  should  be  provided  with  six  No.  6  Barrett  track 
jacks,  two  levelboards,  and  two  spotboards. 

Plenty  of  tools  should  be  provided,  so  that  in  case 
the  work  cannot  be  opened  up  rapidly  in  the  morning, 
or  there  is  difficulty  in  closing  it  up  at  night,  there 
will  be  plenty  of  shovels,  so  that  all  the  men  may 
dress  or  fill  in.  And  when  there  is  a  train  coming, 
and  it  is  necessary  to  tamp  up  the  track  quickly, 
there  should  be  tamping  bars  or  picks  enough  for  the 
gang.  The  foreman  should  take  good  care  of  his  tools, 
and  not  leave  them  scattered  back  of  the  gang,  as  this 
is  likely  to  result  in  losing  them.  For  a  big  gang  a 
tool  man  is  a  good  investment. 


142 


CHAPTER  VII. 
REPORTS  AND  ACCOUNTS. 

A  foreman  should  take  pains  to  make  out  his  reports, 
time  books,  etc.,  correctly  and  plainly,  for  his  ability 
to  hold  higher  positions  is  often  judged  from  them. 
We  give  herein  a  general  discussion  which  will  give 
the  track  foreman  a  better  understanding  of  the  vari- 
ous systems  followed.  Further,  the  information  may 
prove  valuable  to  the  trackman  who  accepts  a  posi- 
tion with  another  road. 

Semi-monthly  reports  on  time  are  a  recent  develop- 
ment made  necessary  by  state  laws,  which  require  rail- 
way employes  to  be  paid  twice  a  month.  In  some 
states  payments  are  even  required  to  be  made  four 
times  a  month,  in  which  case  the  railroads  of  necessity 
require  a  weekly  time  report. 

A  number  of  factors  have  arisen  in  the  track  field 
which  have  recently  led  to  careful  consideration  of 
the  reports  which  the  trackman  is  required  to  make 
out.  In  the  first  place,  the  Interstate  Commerce  Com- 
mission now  requires  railroad  expenses  to  be  reported 
to  them  under  carefully  defined  headings,  and  in  ordei 
to  get  these  direct  from  the  track  foreman's  report, 
some  railroads  have  entirely  changed  their  forms. 

Another  reason  for  changing  report  forms  is  the 
advent  of  the  foreigner  as  a  track  foreman.  Many 
foreigners,  who  are  first-class  track  men,  have  not 
had  enough  schooling  to  enable  them  to  make  out  an 
elaborate  or  complicated  report  with  any  degree  of 
accuracy.  The  reports  for  these  men  must,  in  general, 

143 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

be  simple  enough  so  that  they  can  be  easily  under- 
stood and  as  easily  made  out. 

Getting  Assistance — It  is  usually  possible  for  the 
track  foreman  to  obtain  the  assistance  of  the  station 
agent  or  operator  to  help  him  make  out  his  reports — to 
explain  to  him  anything  which  he  does  not  under- 
stand thoroughly.  If  the  assistance  of  these  men  is 
not  obtainable,  there  will  usually  be  someone  who  can 
help  the  track  foreman  out. 

Kind  of  Reports — The  original  method  on  prac- 
tically all  railroads  was  to  have  the  track  foreman 
make  out  his  report  of  the  amount  of  work  done,  time 
of  laborers  and  distribution  of  work  once  a  month,  in 
a  monthly  time  book.  The  many  variations  of  this 
methods  are  described  below. 

Recently  a  number  of  railroads  have  discarded  the 
monthly  time-distribution  book,  and  adopted  the  prac- 
tice of  having  all  the  information  sent  in  daily.  The 
foreman  makes  out  his  report  for  each  day,  when  the 
whole  thing  is  fresh  in  his  mind,  and  his  responsibility 
ends.  The  rest  of  the  work  is  done  in  the  office  of  the 
roadmaster  or  supervisor. 

Advantages  and  Disadvantages — The  disadvantages 
of  the  monthly  system  are  that  it  piles  the  work  up  on 
the  foreman,  who  is  compelled  to  work  far  into  the 
.night  toward  the  end  of  the  month,  in  order  to  get  his 
books  in  shape  and  checked  up,  so  that  he  can  send 
them  in  on  time.  The  advantages  of  the  system  are 
that  if  the  time  books  are  correctly  made  out  and 
balanced,  there  is  very  little  further  work  to  be  done 
on  them  in  the  office  of  the  roadmaster  or  supervisor. 

With  daily  reports,  the  work  of  the  foreman  i? 
greatly  reduced,  and  his  responsibility  for  the  work 

144 


REPORTS     AND    ACCOUNTS 


done  during  each  day,  ceases  at  the  end  of  that  day. 
He  is  able  to  make  the  entries  on  his  report  while  the 
work  is  still  fresh  in  his  mind,  and  he  is,  therefore, 
more  likely  to  get  them  accurate.  This  refers  par- 
ticularly to  the  distribution  of  the  time  of  the  laborer. 
When  using  the  monthly  report,  there  is  a  great 
temptation  for  the  track  foreman  to  put  off  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  time  for  days,  or  sometimes  weeks, 
and  then  try  to  make  it  all  up  from  memory;  this  re- 
sults in  inaccuracy. 

Recent  Changes — A  good  many  railroads  have  re- 
cently adopted  the  daily  report.  The  officials  of  these 
roads  are  satisfied  that  in  this  way  they  get  much  bet- 
ter reports  and  much  better  recapitulations  than  they 
did  under  the  old  system.  Moreover,  a  good  many 
roads  are  beginning  to  think  that  the  track  foreman 
has  enough  duties  in  keeping  his  track  in  surface  and 
line,  and  being  responsible  for  it  24  hours  in  the  day, 
without  having  to  do  additional  clerical  work. 

Some  roads  have  recently  changed  the  track  report 
forms,  in  order  that  the  data  desired  for  reports  to  the 
Interstate  Commerce  Commission  may  easily  be  ob- 
tained direct  from  them  without  any  figuring. 

Methods  Now  in  Common  Use — A  survey  of  present 
practice  on  a  number  of  roads  shows  a  variety  of  re- 
quirements. The  oldest  type  used  is  the  monthly 
report  on  both  time  and  distribution,  such  as  is  in  use 
on  the  Canadian  Pacific,  Chicago  &  North  Western,  Chi- 
cago Milwaukee  £  St.  Paul,  Illinois  Central,  Nash- 
ville Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis,  Northern  Pacific  and 
Southern  Railway,  all  of  these  roads  having  modified 
and  improved  their  forms  to  better  fit  conditions  as 
they  now  exist.  A  semi-monthly  time  report  and 

145 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

monthly  report  on  distribution  are  required  by  the 
Chicago  Great  Western,  Erie,  Pennsylvania,  Wabash, 
and  other  railroads.  Semi-monthly  reports  on  both 
time  and  distribution  are  in  use  on  the  Minneapolis  St. 
Paul  &  Sault  Ste.  Marie  and  others. 

A  number  of  roads  require  weekly  reports  of  the 
time  of  the  men  and  monthly  reports  on  distribution, 
among  which  are  the  Chicago  Rock  Island  &  Pacific 
and  the  Chicago  &  Alton.  The  Missouri  Kansas  & 
Texas,  the  Southern  Pacific  and  the  Norfolk  &  West- 
ern require  daily  reports  of  the  amount  of  time  worked 
by  the  gangs,  and  monthly  reports  of  distribution. 
The  Atchison  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  requires  semi- 
monthly reports  of  the  total  time  worked,  and  weekly 
reports,  showing  the  kinds  of  work  which  have  been 
done.  Still  other  roads  require  a  weekly  report  of  the 
complete  time  of  laborers  and  a  daily  report  of  dis- 
tribution. 

One  of  the  latest  developments  is  daily  reports.  On 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio,  Cincinnati  Hamilton  &  Dayton, 
Cleveland  Cincinnati  Chicago  &  St.  Louis,  Delaware 
&  Hudson  New  York  Central  and  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroads  a  complete  report  is  required  daily,  both  of 
the  total  number  of  hours  worked  and  of  the  distribu- 
tion. When  these  reports  are  made  out  each  night  the 
foreman's  responsibility  ceases,  the  remainder  of  the 
clerical  work  being  done  in  the  office  of  the  supervisor 
or  roadmaster,  the  division  engineer  or  superintendent. 

PRESENT    PRACTICE. 

Monthly  Reports — The  Canadian  Pacific  is  typical 
of  the  roads  which  require  monthly  reports  on  both 
the  time  of  laborers  and  distribution  of  work.  The 

146 


REPORTS     AND    ACCOUNTS 


roadmaster  is  expected  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  work, 
so  that  he  can  check  up  fairly  well  both  distribution 
and  time,  as  sent  in  by  the  foreman,  and  the  officials 
consider  that  this  system  does  away  with  unnecessary 
daily  or  weekly  reports.  A  tie  report,  rail  fastenings 
report,  rail  report,  tool  report  and  material  report,  are 
required  once  a  month.  These  blanks  are  made  as 
simple  as  possible,  but  very  much  in  detail,  so  that 
there  is  no  possibility  of  the  track  foreman  omitting 
anything.  The  men  are  educated  in  rilling  out  these 
forms,  so  that  no  mistakes  need  be  made.  The  fore- 
man is  required  to  carry  his  time-roll  book  with  him 
constantly,  and  to  be  ready  to  submit  it  for  inspection 
to  the  roadmaster  at  any  time.  The  time  book  is  made 
up  with  an  enclosed  carbon  sheet,  and  second  sheet,  on 
which  a  copy  is  made  of  the  foreman's  entries.  The 
foreman  cannot  get  at  the  duplicate  to  alter  it  without 
tearing  the  two  sheets  apart  at  the  bottom  and  the 
top.  This  makes  it  easy  to  detect  any  corrections 
made.  When  these  are  necessary  the  foreman  makes 
them  on  the  original  and  either  explains  them  in  the 
column  on  remarks,  or  personally  to  the  roadmaster. 

The  distribution  of  labor  is  made  on  the  two  last 
pages  of  the  book,  the  time  being  distributed  on  the 
basis  of  a  day's  work  by  the  full  gang,  instead  of  indi- 
vidually for  each  laborer.  Between  the  distribution 
section  of  the  time  book  and  the  time  report  section 
there  is  a  stiff  cover,  similar  to  that  on  the  outside  of 
the  book,  so  that  there  is  not  much  danger  of  a  green 
foreman  getting  the  two  parts  mixed. 

The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway  follows  a 
somewhat  similar  method.  The  form  of  the  time  book 
has  been  changed,  so  that  now  the  foreman  distributes 

147 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

the  time  of  his  gang  on  the  basis  of  a  day's  work  per- 
formed by  the  gang  as  a  whole,  instead  of  making  an 
individual  distribution  of  each  employe's  time.  In  the 
Chicago  &  Milwaukee  terminals  the  track  foremen  do 
not  keep  time  and  material  reports,  this  work  being 
performed  by  a  timekeeper,  who  is  assigned  to  a  terri- 
tory embracing  three  or  four  foremen's  districts. 

On  the  Chicago  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul,  in  addition 
to  the  monthly  report,  the  section  foremen  send  in 
daily  cards  to  the  roadmasters,  showing  the  number  of 
men-hours  worked  that  day,  and  the  work  on  which 
the  men  were  engaged.  This  information  is  returned 
weekly  by  the  roadmasters  to  the  division  superintend- 
ent, and  to  the  office  of  the  assistant-to-vice-president. 
The  reports  of  extra-gang  foremen  to  the  roadmaster 
are  forwarded  to  the  superintendent,  and  then  to  the 
assistant-to-vice-president,  the  report  giving  the  num- 
ber of  men  worked,  the  total  number  of  hours,  and  de- 
tails of  the  work  performed.  The  form  of  time  book 
was  changed  in  1913,  to  have  the  distribution  made  in 
line  with  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  require- 
ments. 

The  methods  of  the  Illinois  Central  are  similar  to 
those  mentioned  above.  The  time  books  are  provided 
with  a  carbon  sheet,  similar  to  that  used  by  the  Cana- 
dian Pacific.  The  time  books  were  designed  in  this 
manner  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  accuracy  on  the 
part  of  the  foreman  in  recording  time,  and  to  facilitate 
checking  against  fraudulent  entry.  The  carbon  sheet 
discloses  any  changes  or  erasures  made  in  the  time 
sheet,  and  such  erasure  or  changing  of  original  en- 
tries is  prohibited.  If  a  foreman  makes  a  wrong 
entry  an  explanation  is  made  by  him,  and  the  cor- 

148 


REPORTS     AND    ACCOUNTS 


rection  is  made  in  red  ink,  either  by  a  time  inspector  or 
the  supervisor.  The  material  book  is  arranged  so  that 
the  material  used  can  be,  and  it  is  required  to  be, 
recorded  each  day.  This  simplifies  the  report,  since 
the  various  classes  of  material  may  be  reported  under 
one  head  during  the  entire  month,  and  the  entering 
of  items  each  day  eliminates,  to  a  great  extent,  the 
possibility  of  the  foreman  omitting  to  report  any  ma- 
terial used. 

The    reports    on    the    Northern    Pacific    have    been 
simplified,  as  far  as  possible,  to  make  them  most  easily 
understood,  and  to  keep  the  clerical  work  of  the  fore- 
man down  to  a  minimum,  and  yet  get  the  necessary 
information.     The  foreign  foreman  on  this  road  has 
been  found  as  capable  of  performing  clerical  work  as 
the  native  foreman  formerly  employed.    The  material 
and  tool  reports  are  made  as  simple  as  possible,  but 
in  sufficient  detail  to  obtain  the  information  required 
by  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission.    A  weekly 
report    is    required,    showing    the    number    of    men 
worked,  the  amount  earned  and  distribution  daily.  This 
report,  which  is  entirely  separate  from  the  monthly 
time  distribution  reports  mentioned  above,  is  required 
as  an  expenditure  report  for  the  information  of  road- 
masters  and   superintendents.     The   foremen   are  re- 
quired to  keep  a  record  of  costs  of  maintenance  per 
mile,   this   information   being  compiled   for  the  road- 
masters  each  month,  and  sent  by  the  roadmasters  to 
the  foremen,  so  that  expenditures  can  be  compared 
with  previous   months  and  years.     Expenditures  for 
divisions  or  for  sections  can  also  be  compared  with 
others. 

On  the  Southern  Railway,  time  books  are  sent  in 
149 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

monthly,  but  the  foremen  are  required  to  make  entries 
in  them  daily,  except  for  the  record  of  tools,  which 
may  be  made  monthly.  The  forms  for  time  of  labor- 
ers, distribution,  tool  and  material  reports  are  all  in- 
cluded within  the  time  book,  so  that  they  may  be  made 
out  with  the  least  difficulty  by  the  foreman,  so  that 
he  need  not  keep  a  supply  of  loose  forms.  Until 
recently  the  time  books  were  assembled  in  the  offices 
of  roadmasters  at  the  close  of  each  month.  Pay  rolls, 
labor  distribution,  etc.,  were  made  from  them,  by  or 
under  the  direction  of  the  roadmasters.  This  system 
has  been  simplified,  and  the  time  books  are  now  assem- 
bled by  the  supervisors  and  approved  by  them,  then 
sent  to  the  roadmasters  for  review  and  approval,  after 
which  they  are  sent  direct  to  the  auditor's  office, 
which  office  from  them — the  original  record — prepares 
the  pay  rolls,  labor  and  material  distribution.  This 
eliminates  all  clerical  work  on  the  part  of  the  roadway 
department.  The  distribution  of  laborers'  time  is  made 
directly  by  the  foreman,  in  accordance  with  the  re- 
quirements of  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission. 
Detailed  information  is  given  in  the  book,  so  that  the 
foreman  will  know  under  which  heading  to  put  his 
distribution. 

The  Nashville  Chattanooga  &  St.  Louis  has  a  sys- 
tem somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the  Southern,  as  far 
as  the  track  foreman  is  concerned.  The  distribution 
is  made  very  carefully,  and  furnishes  data  from  which 
accurate  costs  of  all  classes  of  work  are  figured  up 
each  month.  The  reports  are  made  simple,  so  that 
they  may  be  easily  understood.  The  cost  data  is 
worked  up  from  them  for  each  division  each  month  by 
the  general  roadmaster,  and  copies  sent  to  the  various 

150 


REPORTS     AND    ACCOUNTS 


divisions,  so  that  comparisons  may  be  made.  Sim- 
plicity, accuracy  and  sufficient  detail  for  all  purposes 
are  the  chief  advantages  of  the  system,  is  the  claim  of 
the  officials  of  this  road.  The  time  book  and  distribu- 
tion sheets  are  in  one  book,  so  arranged  as  to  cover 
the  entire  month's  work.  The  foreman  enters  time  and 
distribution  daily,  while  the  work  is  fresh  in  his 
memory,  but  is  relieved  of  the  necessity  of  mailing  it 
to  headquarters  daily.  No  extra  report  is  required 
from  which  to  make  the  distribution  at  the  office. 

Semi-Monthly  Time  and  Monthly  Distribution — Re- 
ports of  the  time  of  laborers  on  the  Chicago  Great 
Western  are  required  only  semi-monthly,  with  the 
exception  of  overtime  reports,  which  are  required 
daily.  The  officials  state  that  the  advantages  of  the 
forms  which  are  being  used  are  that  the  necessary 
information  can  be  obtained  direct  from  them,  with 
which  to  compile  reports  for  the  Interstate  Commerce 
Commission.  The  Pennsylvania  Lines  West  follow  a 
method  similar  to  that  of  the  Chicago  Great  Western, 
the  time  reports  being  required  semi-monthly,  and 
daily  in  only  a  few  cases.  Only  one  material  blank  is 
required,  and  that  weekly.  Tool  reports  are  required 
once  in  three  months.  The  supervisor's  clerk  helps 
such  foremen  as  need  assistance  in  making  up  the  re- 
ports, and  on  heavy  construction  work  several  clerks 
are  sometimes  employed. 

The  time  book  on  the  Erie  Railroad  is  drawn  up  in 
such  form  that  a  man  of  little  education  should  be  able 
to  grasp  the  idea  of  reporting  time.  On  the  last  two 
pages  of  the  book,  careful  instructions  are  given  to 
the  foremen  on  how  to  make  out  the  time  book,  and 
these  are  supplemented  with  verbal  instructions.  But 

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DIS  'RIBUTION  OF  LABOR  PERFORMED  DURING  M 

DESCRIPTION  OF  WORK 

nuiNAKT  KUAUWAY  REPAI  RS—  Blasting  rocks;  ditching  and  ( 
ditches;  placing  and  cleaning  drain  pipes  (not  under  tracks);  c 
track  ties  with  retaining  earth;  tilling  borrow  and  cattle  pits;  la 
gardening  (except  at  stations);  oiling  roadbed;  restoring  roadbed 
tills  and  embankments  to  standard  width;  sloping  cuts;  plowing  a 
gmg  tire  guards;  dressing  ballast;  loading  and  handling  misce 
scrap,  drift,  cinders,  dirt  and  other  material  (except  ties,  rails  an 
track  material)  from  right  of  way,  and  from  road  and  terminal 
(including  tracks  at  stations,  engine  yards  and  car  yards)  ;  cleanim 
used  as  right  of  way;  extinguishing  fires  on  right  of  way  and  a 
thereto;  walking,  watching  and  patrolling  tracks  and  right  of  way 
ing  retaining  walls,  riprap,  piling,  piers,  breakwaters  and  revetme 
verting  channels  of  streams  to  prevent  cutting,  washing  and  sliding 
bankment. 

XIHAOKUINARY  ROADWAY  R  E  PA  1  RS—  Removing  slides,  da 
rocks  and  other  obstructions;  repairing  and  keeping  roadbed  clear 
count  of  freshets  and  washouts;  building  and  removing  temporary 
around  slides  and,  washouts;  protecting  roadbed  and  tracks  from 
watchmen  on  account  of  bad  spots  in  roadbed  and  tracks. 

h  MOVING  GRASS  AND  WEEDS—  Mowing  right  of  way,  removi 
burning  brush,  grass  and  weeds. 

UNNELS  AND  SUBWAYS—  Repairing,  ventilating,  lighting  and  w 
tunnels  and  subways  for  the  passage  of  trains. 

RIDGES  (framed,  plate  girder,  arched  or  pile  structure  of  wood,  n 
masonry,  having  a  span  or  spans  more  than  16  feet  each  in  le 
Cleaning  channels  under,  etc. 

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PPLYING  BALLAST—  ORDINARY—  l^eparing  roadbed  and  apply! 
last  for  repairs  of  tracks. 

PPLYING  TIES  AND  TIE  PLATES—  ORDINARY—  Unloading  ai 

tributlng  and  applying  ties  and  tie  plates  for  repairs  of  tracks; 
ing  up  and  disposing  of  ties  released;  respacing  ties. 

PPLYING  RAILS  AND  OTHER  TRACK  MATERIAL—  ORDI  NAR 

loading,  distributing  and  laying  rails  ajid  applying  other  track  n 
for  repairs  of  tracks;  gathering  up  and  loading  material  releasec 
cept  for  temporary  tracks  around  slides,  washouts,  wrecks,  etc. 
justing  for  expansion  and  contraction  of  rails. 

RDINARY  TRACK  R  E  PA  1  RS—  Aligning,  surfacing,  gauging  and 
mirg  tracks;  tightening  track  bolts  and  track  spikes;  taking  up  z 
locating  tracks:  repairing  and  replacing  rail  rests. 

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FOR  TRAIN  LOCOMOTIVES— 
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PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

one  material  report,  monthly,  is  required  and  tool  re- 
ports are  only  required  when  specially  called  for  by 
the  division  engineers,  or  when  the  annual  inventory 
is  made.  The  forms  have  been  changed  and  greatly 
simplified  in  recent  years,  partially  on  account  of  the 
advent  of  the  foreigner  as  track  foreman,  and  to  make 
a  better  accounting  than  was  possible  in  the  past. 

The  time  and  distribution  of  labor  on  the  Wabash 
Railroad  is  made  up  on  a  single  large  sheet,  the  total 
time  above,  and  the  distribution  below.  The  distribu- 
tion is  made  on  the  basis  of  total  number  of  hours  put 
in  on  each  kind  of  work,  rather  than  by  the  hours  of 
individual  laborers.  A  daily  report  of  a  very  simple 
nature  is  made  to  the  supervisor,  and,  this,  together 
with  a  single  sheet,  including  a  report  on  all  the  ma- 
terial and  tools  on  the  section,  is  all  that  the  foremen 
are  required  to  handle.  The  material  and  tool  report 
is  required  at  the  end  of  each  month. 

Semi-Monthly  Reports  of  Both  Time  and  Distribu- 
tion—  On  the  Minneapolis  St.  Paul  &  Sault  Ste.  Marie, 
the  time  roll,  showing  both  total  time  worked  and  dis- 
tribution of  labor,  is  sent  to  the  division  superintend- 
ent twice  a  month  by  the  roadmaster.  This  makes  it 
unnecessary  for  the  foreman  to  carry  the  distribution 
over  for  a  whole  month,  after  he  has  made  a  report  on 
the  time  for  a  half  month,  and  thereby  simplifies  his 
work.  A  daily  report  of  time  worked  is  sent  to  the 
roadmaster  by  each  foreman. 

Weekly  Time  and  Monthly   Distribution — On   the 

Chicago  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  a  weekly  report  of 
the  hours  worked  is  required,  and  a  semi-monthly  re- 
port is  required  for  use  in  making  up  the  pay  roll. 

154 


REPORTS     AND    ACCOUNTS 


The  material  books  are  made  up  to  indicate  all  needed 
information.  At  least  90  per  cent  of  the  sections  have 
but  one  material  report,  and  the  report  on  creosoted 
switch  ties,  besides  their  time  report.  A  requisition 
form  is  made  out  each  month  for  material  and  supplies 
needed  for  the  following  month.  This  road  recently 
changed  its  methods  somewhat  on  account  of  the 
necessity  for  paying  semi-monthly.  A  detachable  time 
sheet  was  added  to  the  time  book  to  cover  the  first  15 
days  of  the  month.  This  is  detached  and  sent  in  on 
the  fifteenth,  after  the  time  has  been  entered,  and  the 
total  is  carried  to  the  last  half-sheet,  so  that  the  fore- 
man is  able  to  obtain  a  grand  total  for  the  month. 

The  Chicago  &  Alton  requires  weekly  reports  of 
both  time  and  distribution  of  laborers,  semi-monthly 
reports  of  time  for  use  in  making  up  the  pay  roll,  and 
a  complete  distribution  of  labor,  monthly.  This  gives 
the  supervisor  the  total  labor  expenditure  at  the  end 
of  each  week,  and  gives  him  a  chance  to  make  up  com- 
parative statements  in  connection  with  the  allowance 
and  expense  of  the  previous  year.  No  tool  report  is 
required,  but  a  blue  print  giving  a  standard  list  of  tools 
is  posted  in  each  toolhouse.  Supply  cars  replace  and 
take  up  tools,  in  accordance  with  this  list.  All  ma- 
terial is  charged  directly  from  requisitions,  with  the 
exception  of  rail  and  ties,  which  does  away  with  the 
necessity  of  the  foreman  making  up  reports  for  ma- 
terial other  than  rail  and  ties. 

Daily  Time  and  Monthly  Distribution  Reports — On 
the  Missouri  Kansas  &  Texas  a  daily  time  report  and 
a  monthly  report  on  distribution  is  required.  The 
daily  report  is  used  for  keeping  track  of  expenditures, 
and  for  obtaining  the  unit  costs  of  various  classes  of 

155 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

work.  This  road  but  recently  changed  from  the 
monthly  to  the  daily  system  of  time  reports. 

The  Norfolk  &  Western  has  a  similar  method.  The 
daily  reports  of  labor  expended  are  checked  against 
the  monthly  distribution.  The  time  of  each  laborer  is 
required  to  be  entered  daily  in  the  time  book.  The 
daily  reports  enable  officials  to  check  up  the  expend- 
iture on  any  authority  work,  at  any  time. 

On  the  Southern  Pacific  a  daily  report  is  kept  in  the 
monthly  time  book,  but  the  information  is  forwarded 
each  night  on  a  form  to  the  roadmaster.  The  distribu- 
tion  of  track  labor  is  likewise  made  daily,  but  is  not 
sent  to  the  roadmaster  until  the  end  of  the  month. 
The  distribution,  however,  is  reported  to  the  road- 
master  four  times  a  month.  The  monthly  distribution 
of  track  labor  is  made  up  to  conform  with  the  Inter- 
state Commerce  Commission  ruling,  whereas  the  week- 
ly report  of  distribution  is  made  up  for  the  informa- 
tion of  railway  officials  only.  Italians,  Greeks,  Mex- 
icans and  Japanese  foremen  are  employed,  but  no  par- 
ticular trouble  is  experienced  with  them  in  the  handling 
of  these  reports,  which  have  been  simplified  and  yet 
require  sufficient  information  for  the  auditing  depart- 
ment, as  well  as  for  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commis- 
sion. (See  Fig.  12,  Southern  Pacific  Report  Blank, 
page  152.) 

Semi-Monthly  Time  Reports  and  Weekly  Distribu- 
tion Reports — On  the  Atchison  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe 
Coast  Lines,  the  time  report  is  required  at  the  middle, 
and  the  last  of  the  month,  and  distribution  of  labor  is 
required  once  a  week.  The  chief  advantages  for  this 
method  are  said  to  be  that  it  relieves  the  foreman  of 
the  clerical  work  of  making  up  daily  reports,  and 

156 


REPORTS     AND     ACCOUNTS 


makes  it  unnecessary  to  stop  trains  daily  at  isolated 
places  to  forward  the  mail. 

Many  of  the  section  headquarters  are  at  points  where 
trains  do  not  stop,  except  on  flag,  and  some  are  located 
at  points  where  trains  do  not  stop  at  all.  The  explana- 
tion as  to  just  what  information  is  wanted  on  material 
and  tool  reports  is  printed  in  plain  language,  such  as 
can  be  easily  understood  by  a  foreman  of  ordinary  in- 
telligence. Further,  the  sheets  are  bound  into  the  time 
book,  so  that  they  do  not  have  to  be  handled  sep- 
arately. The  time  book  has  recently  been  revised,  and 
some  of  the  forms  simplified,  partly  to  reduce  the 
clerical  work  of  the  foreman  and  partly  to  make  it 
easier  for  the  clerical  force  to  segregate  charges  to  the 
proper  accounts. 

Weekly  Time  and  Daily  Distribution  Report — On 
the  Boston  &  Albany,  reports  on  time  of  laborers  are 
required  weekly,  and  distribution  of  labor  reports  are 
required  daily.  By  the  daily  report  system  the  officials 
consider  they  are  getting  fresh  information,  and  that 
nothing  is  likely  to  be  forgotten.  This  also  enables 
the  supervisors  to  keep  in  closer  touch  with  the 
progress  of  each  foreman's  work,  which  is  a  great  ad- 
vantage. Correct  unit  costs  of  a  day's  work  are  ob- 
tained on  the  day  following.  The  time  is  distributed 
daily,  and  the  daily  reports  are  checked  against  the 
weekly  time  report,  to  detect  any  error  on  the  fore- 
man's part. 

Daily  Time  and  Distribution  Reports — Most  fore- 
men have  little  education  along  clerical  lines,  and  on 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  they  seemed  to  be  unable  to 
prepare  the  monthly  time  book  accurately.  The  fore- 

157 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

men  had  difficulty  in  balancing  the  time  for  the  month, 
and  in  making  the  distribution  of  labor  agree  with  the 
total  hours'  work.  There  were  also  frequent  errors 
in  marking  up  the  men's  time,  probably  because  the 
foremen  did  not  enter  the  time  each  day ;  the  monthly 
system  was,  therefore,  considered  inaccurate  and  un- 
satisfactory. Under  the  present  system  of  reporting 
time  daily,  the  foreman  is  compelled  to  enter  the  time 
of  every  man  in  the  time  book  at  the  end  of  each 
working  day,  after  which  he  makes  out  his  daily  re- 
port of  time  and  distribution  of  labor,  and  mails  both 
reports  to  the  division  engineer  on  the  first  train.  It 
is  much  easier  for  the  foreman  to  make  up  the  full 
reports  daily  while  the  whole  thing  is  fresh  in  his 
mind,  insuring  more  accurate  timekeeping  for  the  men 
and  more  reliable  distribution  of  labor.  A  carbon  copy 
of  these  reports  is  sent  to  the  supervisor.  The  increas- 
ing number  of  foreign  track  foremen  is  no  doubt  re- 
sponsible for  the  unsatisfactory  reports  obtained  under 
the  old  system. 

The  material  reports  have  likewise  been  simplified, 
and  are  now  required  daily,  thus  relieving  the  fore- 
men of  a  large  amount  of  clerical  work  at  the  end  of 
the  month.  Most  of  the  foremen  could  not  make  the 
old  material  report  up  complete,  and  it  was  necessary 
for  the  supervisor  to  spend  a  lot  of  time  straightening 
the  reports  out.  The  simple  daily  reports  of  the 
amount  of  material  used,  shipped  and  received  each 
day  are  giving  greater  accuracy.  The  present  system 
has  been  in  use  since  1910,  with  a  few  slight  changes, 
and  is  giving  satisfaction. 

The   Cincinnati,   Hamilton    &    Dayton    Railway  is 

158 


THE    DELAWARE   AND    HUDSON    COMPANY7 

BUREAU    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    ACCOUNTS 


DAILY  REPORT  OF  LABOR  PERFORMED  AND  MATERIALISED  BY  TRACK  FORCES, 
LOCATED  AT  _  FOR  THF  _  lOAY  OF 

TIME    WORKED    DURING    THE    DAY 


NAME 

BRASS  CHECK 
NUMBER 

.  OCCUPATION 

HOURS 
WORKED 

RATE 

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29 

TOTAL  HOURS  WOF 

RED  BY  GANG 

KINO  Of  WORK  DONE  DURING  DAY 


GIVE  NUWBCfl  Of  HOURS  wo««iO  IN  COtuMN  "HOURS" 

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TOTAL  HOURS  WORKED  BY  GANG 

; 

CHECKED  AND  FOUND  CORRECT: 


FOREMAN  SHALL  USE  OTHER  SIDE  TO  REPORT  MATERIAL 

Fig.  13 — Delaware  &  Hudson  Time  and  Distribution  Report. 
159 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

using  practically  the  same  system  and  the  same  forms 
as  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio. 

The  Delaware  &  Hudson  Company  changed  its 
methods  of  reporting  maintenance  of  way  work 
February  1,  1916,  and  now  requires  daily  reports  on 
time,  distribution  of  labor  and  materials.  All  the  blank 
forms  are  made  up  on  one  sheet,  the  time  and  dis- 
tribution on  one  side,  material  and  tools  on  the  other. 
The  foreman  writes-in  the  names  and  hours  worked 
by  the-  men,  the  kind  of  work,  and  number  of  hours 
spent  on  each  kind  of  work  during  the  day.  The  hours 
are  entered  up  under  three  headings:  (1)  Main- 
track.  (2)  Side-track.  (3)  Job  orders.  See  Fig.  13 
on  page  159.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  sheet  is  given 
the  daily  material  report,  the  top  part  having  a  place  for 
material  used,  the  middle  for  material  taken  from  side- 
tracks, and  the  lower  for  material  received  or  shipped 
away.  The  different  materials  are  written-in  by  the 
foremen. 

The  Cleveland  Cincinnati  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  fol- 
lows practically  the  same  method  as  the  Baltimore  & 
Ohio.  The  daily  reports  show  the  nature  of  the  work 
performed,  the  exact  location  and  length  of  time  con- 
sumed. From  these  reports  the  labor  distribution  is 
made  daily  in  the  office  of  the  engineer  maintenance 
of  way.  On  extra  gangs,  especially  those  applying  rail, 
spacing  ties,  surfacing,  dressing,  etc.,  a  daily  report  is 
required,  showing  the  work  accomplished  and  its 
cost,  this  being  used  for  accounting  purposes  and  for 
gathering  cost  data.  Few  foreigners  are  employed  as 
foremen,  but  the  reports  have  been  simplified  as  far 
as  possible,  in  order  not  to  impose  too  much  of  a  bur- 
den upon  the  foreman.  The  supervisors  are  relieved 

160 


DAILY    MATERIAL    REPORT 

SECTION    NO._ •    DATE _191_ 


MATERIAL     USED 


I 


AMOUNT    Ub£D    AND    WHERE    USED 


TKACX      '      TRACK 


KIND    ;  AMOUNT    TAKEN    FROM    TRACK    AND    WHERE    FROM 


MATERIAL  TAKEN  FROM  TRACK 


MATERIAL  RECEIVED  OR  SHIPPED  AWAY 


ITEMS  OF  MATERIAL 



RECE  VED                           ||                             SHIPPED    AWAY 

A.OU.T 

«w« 

w-t«rW       |j-    «ou« 

•[""on 

WHCWC  TO 

H 

|j 

H 

1             '                                      !! 

6T 

t* 

— 

|i 

• 

— 

1 

B 

w 

n 

72 

'— 

73     1 

T4 

FOREMAN  MAY  USE  THE  SPACE  BELOW  TO  REPORT 

CARS  RECEIVED  AND  SHIPPED,  HURRY 

-5 

X 

77 

„ 

„ 

• 

APPROVED  FOR  LABOR  AND  MATERIAL: 


'  THE  ABOVE  REPORT  IS  CORRECT 


Fig.  14— Daily  Material  Report,  Delaware  &  Hudson. 
161 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

of  as  much  clerical  work  as  possible,  and  all  the  clerks 
on  each  division  are  concentrated  in  the  office  of  the 
engineer  maintenance  of  way.  The  timekeepers  in 
his  office  are  able  to  make  the  distribution  of  labor 
daily,  from  the  reports  which  are  received  from  fore- 
men. A  ledger  account  is  kept  of  each  section  or  gang, 
and  the  amount  of  material  they  have  on  hand  can  be 
determined  at  any  time.  Under  the  old  method  of 
handling  time  and  material,  clerks  were  employed  at 
the  more  important  stations,  such  as  Cleveland  and 
Indianapolis,  to  take  care  of  the  time  for  all  the  gangs 
at  those  places.  Under  the  present  system  this  is  not 
found  necessary. 

The  New  York  Central  Railroad  has  been  using 
daily  reports  of  time  and  distribution,  and  finds  that 
more  accurate  reports  are  obtained  and  that  there  is 
less  likelihood  of  the  pay  rolls  being  padded.  The  re- 
ports have  given  very  good  satisfaction  on  this  road. 
Material  and  tools  are  reported  once  each  month  on 
simple  blanks.  The  Pittsburgh  &  Lake  Erie  has  a 
similar  system. 

On  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  daily  reports  are  re- 
quired on  both  time  and  distribution,  and  at  present, 
monthly  reports  on  materials.  The  advantages  of  the 
system,  as  worked  out  on  this  road,  are  that  the  super- 
visor knows  at  the  close  of  each  day  just  the  amount 
of  time  and  labor  expended  on  his  section,  and  is  in  a 
position  to  check  the  number  of  men,  and  to  see  how 
his  labor  charges  compare  with  his  allotment  for  labor. 
This  road  has  recently  changed  from  a  monthly  to  a 
daily  time  report,  and  has  in  view  changing  from  a 
monthly  to  a  daily  material  report,  if  it  can  be  done 
without  increased  clerical  labor  and  cost. 

162 


REPORTS     AND    ACCOUNTS 


Conclusion — It  is  the  writer's  opinion  that  the  daily 
report  of  both  time  and  distribution  is  a  particularly 
valuable  method  under  existing  conditions.  The  track 
foreman  is  certainly  entitled  to  all  the  consideration 
which  can  be  shown  him,  and  his  hours  are  long 
enough,  without  requiring  him  to  use  his  evenings  in 
clerical  work.  It  is  realized,  however,  that  many  of 
the  systems  now  in  use — where  reports  are  required 
weekly,  semi-monthly  and  monthly — have  been  so  sim- 
plified that  they  are  almost  as  easy  to  handle  as  the 
daily  reports. 


163 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
SPRING  WORK. 

A  track  is  no  stronger  than  its  weakest  point.  It  is 
better  to  have  uniformly  fair  track  than  to  have  stretches 
of  excellent  track  mixed  in  with  stretches  of  poor  track. 

After  the  winter  months  the  roadway  will  usually 
require  immediate  and  vigorous  attention.  The  frost 
will  leave  the  ground  faster  where  the  sun  gets  a 
chance  to  shine  directly  on  it,  and  the  irregular  man- 
ner in  which  the  frost  goes  out  causes  the  track  to 
settle  unevenly,  and  shimmed  track  must  be  watched 
closely  to  avoid  accidents.  On  curves,  settlement  may 
affect  the  elevation  enough  to  cause  derailments.  The 
places  in  the  track  where  shims  have  been  used  should 
be  marked,  with  the  idea  of  remedying  inefficient  drain- 
age— the  usual  cause  of  heaving. 

The  success  of  maintenance  of  way  work,  partic- 
ularly under  present  labor  conditions  and  with  the 
small  forces  allowed,  depends  primarily  on  the  proper 
planning  of  the  work.  Every  effort  should  be  made  to 
prevent  delays  caused  by  lack  of  materials  or  tools. 

Many  roads  are  standardizing  section  gang  work, 
specifying  certain  days  or  periods  for  doing  certain 
kinds  of  work,  the  track  gangs  all  being  held  up  to 
this  program.  However,  if  a  foreman  completes  a  job 
before  the  allotted  time  he  is  free  to  go  on  with  other 
work;  and  if  he  does  not  finish  he  continues  at  it  past 
the  days  allotted,  and  makes  the  necessary  explanation 
to  the  supervisor  or  roadmaster.  There  are  some  ob- 

164 


SPRING    WORK 


jections  to  this  system,  for  it  may  sometimes  prevent 
the  track  gangs  from  taking  advantage  of  favorable 
conditions  for  doing  work  of  a  different  kind  than  that 
allotted.  On  the  roads  where  this  system  has  been 
put  into  force,  however,  the  advantages  are  such  that 
they  continue  to  follow  it  in  spite  of  its  drawbacks. 

The  spring  months  are  the  best  in  the  year  for  doing 
track  work.  The  days  are  cool,  and  labor  is  better  and 
more  plentiful  than  in  the  summer  or  fall.  This  is  il- 
lustrated by  some  authentic  costs  which  were  pub- 
lished by  the  author  in  "Practical  Track  Work,"  from 
which  we  quote:  "The  total  cost  chargeable  to  rais- 
ing a  piece  of  track  during  the  early  spring  was  $5064 
for  raising  60,100  ft.  of  track,  an  average  raise  of  6  in. 
This  amounts  to  about  $445  per  mile  and  includes 
lining  and  dressing  up  the  track  to  standard.  During 
the  summer  a  total  of  74,400  ft.  of  track  was  given  an 
average  raise  of  6  in.,  the  total  cost  being  $7850,  which 
amounts  to  about  $560  per  mile.  The  conditions  were 
practically  identical  in  each  case.  The  work  done  in 
the  spring  was  20  per  cent  cheaper  than  that  done  in 
the  summer.  The  work  was  done  by  a  contractor  with 
a  very  efficient  supervising  force." 

Routine  Track  Work — Following  is  a  list  of  the 
kinds  of  spring  work  which  are  necessary  in  localities 
where  the  ground  freezes  in  the  winter  time : 

While  frost  is  still  in  ground  the  supervisor  should : 

(1)  Check  up  section  tools  for  the  summers'  work. 

(2)  Choose   and   examine   the    foremen   for   extra 
gangs. 

(3)  Order  the  tools,  boarding  camp  cars  and  other 
supplies  for  extra  gangs. 

165 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

(4)  Have  work  trains  distribute  ties  (if  not  done 
previously). 

(5)  Have  work  trains  distribute  rails  (if  not  done 
previously). 

The  track  foreman  should : 

(6)  Keep  switches  free  from  water  or  ice. 

(7)  Remove  snow  and  ice  from  waterways. 

(8)  Inspect  and  gauge  switches  and  switch  leads. 

(9)  Inspect  and  renew  guard  rails  and  frogs. 

(10)  Replace  bad  rails. 

While  frost  is  going  out  of  ground : 

(11)  Watch   shimmed  places  and  reduce   sizes  of 
shims  as  track  settles;  put  in  shims  in  low  places  which 
develop. 

(12)  Clean  up  station  grounds  and  track. 

(13)  Clean  up  freight,  stock  and  yard  tracks. 

(14)  Pick  up  scrap. 

(15)  Distribute  track  ties  ready  for  renewals  if  this 
work  was  not  done  in  the  winter. 

(16)  Inspect  anti-creepers  and  tighten  any  which 
have  loosened  during  the  winter. 

(17)  Scale  off  rock   cuts,   using   the   material   for 
strengthening  and  building  berm  or  for  rip  rap. 

(18)  Drive  down  all  loose  spikes  and  tighten  loose 
bolts. 

(19)  Watch  for  soft  spots,  repair  them  and  notify 
the  operating  department  where  slow  orders  are  nec- 
essary. 

(20)  Run    over    the    section    quickly,    taking    out 
shims,  swings  in  the  line  and  the  worst  low  places 
in  the  surface. 

(21)  Put  in  ties. 

(22)  Repair  highway  crossings. 

166 


SPRING    WORK 


(23)  Patch  up  fences,  especially  those  across  water 
courses. 

(24)  Repair  cattle  guards. 

(25)  Straighten  sign  posts. 

(26)  Adjust  expansion  and  tighten  bolts  on  me- 
dium hot  days,  renewing  them  or  the  lock  nuts  when 
necessary. 

(27)  Take  down  portable  snow  fences. 

(1)  Checking  Up  Tools — The  supervisor  or  road- 
master  should  make  sure  that  each  foreman  is  sup- 
plied with  the  proper  equipment  of  tools  to  do  his  work 
most  expeditiously.    While  it  is  the  roadmaster's  duty 
to  see  that  tools  are  not  scrapped  too  soon,  he  should 
also  see  to  it  that  the  ones  retained  are  serviceable. 
Tools  needing  repairs  should  be  shipped  to  the  shops ; 
this  work  should  be  done  before  the  rush  of  spring 
work,  to  prevent  delay. 

(2)  Extra  Gang  Foremen — The  extra  gang  fore- 
men should  be  chosen  early  enough  to  give  time  to 
break  in  relief  foremen  for  the  sections.     If  the  relief 
foreman  comes  from  another  division,  more  time  must 
be  allowed  him  to  become  acquainted  with  the  pecu- 
liar conditions  on  the  section ;  if  the  man  is  to  be  pro- 
moted from  among  the  laborers,  he  should  be  schooled 
by  the  regular  section  foreman  for  as  long  a  time  as 
possible  before  he  takes  complete  charge. 

(3)  Extra  Gang  Supplies — Tools,  boarding  camp 
cars  and  extra  gang  supplies  are  likely  to  be  missing 
after  the  gangs  are  ready  to  go  to  work — so  these  sup- 
plies should  be  followed  up  closely.     The  supervisor 
should  continually  keep  after  the  proper  parties  so  that 
plenty  of  these  supplies  will  be  on  hand  at  the  time  the 
extra  gangs  are  ready  to  start  work. 

167 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    MAINTENANCE 

(4  &  .5)  Distributing  Ties  and  Rails — Some  roads 
distribute  ties  and  rails  in  the  winter.  If  this  has  not 
been  done,  the  distribution  should  be  made  in  the 
early  spring.  If  the  ground  is  still  frozen,  the  rails 
must  be  handled  carefully  so  that  they  will  not  be 
broken.  Varous  devices  may  be  used,  such  as  skid 
rails,  an  A-frame  if  unloading  out  of  stock  cars,  or  a 
rail  derrick.  The  latter  is  the  most  efficient  where  the 
rails  are  on  flats  or  in  gondolas,  and  especially  where 
a  rail  derrick  can  be  sent  around  to  several  divisions 
successively,  it  will  prove  to  be  a  labor  and  cost  sav- 
ing appliance.  If  it  is  impossible  to  get  the  rail  der- 
rick at  this  time  of  the  year,  it  is  better  to  defer  the 
distribution  of  rails  from  such  cars  until  the  derrick 
can  be  obtained. 

(6)  Keeping  Switches  Open — One  of  the  most  im- 
portant duties  of  the  track  foreman  in  the  spring  is 
to  keep  the  switches  working.    The  water  which  accu- 
mulates during  the  day  as  the  snow  and  ice  melts  will 
run  into  the  snow  holes  and,  freezing  the  rods  and 
switch  points,  will  prevent  the  switch  from  being  oper- 
ated.    It  is  necessary,  therefore,  to  give  the  switches 
attention  every  day,  the  best  time  being  in  the  after- 
noon.   In  yards  each  man  should  be  assigned  a  certain 
number  of  switches  to   look  after  and  the  foreman 
should  inspect  the  entire  number  just  before  he  leaves 
for  the  night. 

(7)  Cleaning  Waterways — It  is  very  essential  that 
snow,  ice  and  all  rubbish  be  cleared  out  of  waterways, 
surface  or  track  ditches  as   soon  as  possible   in   the 
spring.     Waterways  which   are   dammed   up   are   re- 
sponsible for  a  good  many  embankments  being  washed 
out.     Every  precaution  should  be  taken  to  prevent 

J68 


SPRING    WORK 


water  from  flowing  down  onto  the  roadway,  as  far  as 
possible,  and  to  provide  for  quickly  draining  off  water 
which  does  fall  or  flow  onto  the  roadbed.  Watchmen 
should  be  stationed  at  menacing  points  to  promptly 
advise  of  dangerous  conditions. 

(8)  Switches — During  the  winter  it  is  impossible 
to    make   all   permanent   repairs   to    switches,  switch 
leads,  etc.,  and  immediately  after  the  snow  and  ice  have 
melted,  worn  switch  points  should  be  renewed,  switch 
points  and  switch  leads  re-gaged  and  the  switches  put 
in  first  class  condition. 

(9)  Guard  Rails  and  rrogs — Guard  rails  are  fre- 
quently forced  out  of  place  in  the  winter  time,  and  it  is 
almost   impossible  to  get  at   them  to   re-spike  them 
properly  in  place.  When  the  guard  rails  are  re-set  the 
track  should  be  gaged,  the  guard  rails  being  placed 
according  to  prescribed  standards.     Guard  rails  and 
frogs  should  be  inspected  and  if  worn  out  should  be 
replaced. 

(10)  Replacing  Rails — In  the  spring  months  the 
foreman  can  run  over  his  section  and  replace  track 
rails  (including  stock  and  lead  rails)  which  are  badly 
worn  or  which  show  signs  of  failure.    This  should  be 
done  after  the  snow  and  ice  have  melted  away. 

(11)  Shimming — The    frost    going    out    unevenly 
will  cause  rough  spots,  which  should  be  given  imme- 
diate attention.     It  will  be  necessary  to  put  in  new 
shims  at  some  places,  while  at  other  places  the  old 
shims  will  have  to  be  removed  and  thinner  ones  grad- 
ually substituted  till  the  track  has  settled  back  to  its 
old  bed. 

(12  and  13)     General    Cleaning    Up — All    cinders, 
straw  and  other  rubbish  should  be  gathered  up  from 

169 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

the  track,  either  on  the  section  or  in  yards,  and  this 
material  should  be  used  to  patch  up  holes  in  the  right 
of  way  or  to  strengthen  weak  spots  in  embankment 
shoulders.  This  not  only  gives  more  time  for  other 
work  later,  but  allows  the  frost  to  go  out  of  the  road- 
bed quicker  and  the  section  gang  to  get  started  sooner 
at  the  work  of  smoothing  up  the  track.  Rubbish 
should  be  cleaned  away  from  the  rail  base  and  insu- 
lated joints  to  prevent  the  failure  of  automatic  signals. 

(14)  Scrap — Scrap  will  be  covered  up  by  snow  and 
ice  and  will  accumulate  rapidly  in  the  winter.     It  is 
usually  necessary  in  the  spring  to  make  a  special  trip 
over  the  section  to  pick  up  all  the  scrap  which  has 
thus   accumulated ;   this   should   be   done   as   early   as 
possible  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  important  work 
which  can  be  done  only  after  the  frost  is  out  of  the 
ground. 

(15)  Distributing  Track  Ties — As  the  danger  of 
wash-outs  is  usually  past  by  this  time,  it  will  be  prac- 
ticable to  string  out  the  track  ties  which  are  to  be  re- 
newed, laying  them  at  right  angles  to  the  track,  each 
at  its  proper  location.     This  work  should  not  be  left 
until  the  gang  is  renewing  ties,  as  the  time  is  then 
more  valuable  and  should  be  used  mainly  for  renewal 
work  and  not  in  distribution. 

(16) — Rail  Anchors — When  snow  and  ice  are  on 
the  ground  it  is  impossible  to  do  much  in  the  way  of 
inspecting  or  tightening  rail  anchors,  but  as  the 
change  in  temperature  is  likely  to  start  rails  creeping, 
a  thorough  inspection  of  anti-creepers  should  now  be 
made  to  insure  that  they  are  ready  to  efficiently  resist 
any  tendency  to  creep. 

(17)     Rock  Cuts — Rock  cuts  should  be  scaled  early 

170 


SPRING    WORK 


in  the  spring  and  all  rocks  which  have  been  loosened 
by  the  frost  should  be  rolled  down  and  taken  care  of. 
This  will  prevent  any  of  them  getting  onto  the  track 
and  causing  a  derailment.  Wherever  soft  clay  cuts 
have  slid  or  are  sliding,  these  should  be  given  atten- 
tion at  the  same  time,  and  the  material  obtained  should 
be  used  for  strengthening  embankments.  The  rocks 
may  be  used  at  places  where  rip  rap  is  needed.  It 
may  be  possible  to  do  some  ditching  now  and  to  get 
the  waterways  cleaned  out  and  in  the  best  possible 
shape  for  thaws  or  heavy  storms. 

(18)  Spikes  and  Bolts— It  will  be  profitable   for 
the  foreman  to  go  over  his  section  and  drive  down 
the  spikes  snugly.    This  will  help  to  prevent  the  rails 
from  creeping  and  obviate  the  necessity  of  doing  this 
work  later,  when  putting  in  ties.     If  nuts  are  rusted 
to  the  bolts,  a  little  black  oil  poured  on  bolts  will 
greatly  facilitate  the  work  of  tightening  them. 

(19)  Soft  Spots — Wherever  soft  spots  develop  in 
the  roadbed,  whether  caused  by  water  pockets,  slides, 
or  washouts,  they  should  be  watched  minutely  by  the 
foreman  and  all  necessary  repairing  done ;  but  in  every 
case  the  first  thing  to  do  in  case  there  is  a  dangerous 
track  condition,  is  to  notify  the  operating  department 
so  that  slow  orders  may  be  issued.    In  case  some  track 
is    found   which    is    impassable,    the   foreman    should 
waste  no  time  in  getting  out  flagmen  to  protect  it,  and 
he  should  then  report  the  matter  to  headquarters. 

(20)  Surfacing  and  Lining — After  the  frost  is  out, 
all  shims  should  be  removed  and  the  track  at  these 
points  surfaced  and  lined.    While  doing  this,  all  bad 
swings  in  the  track  should  be  lined  out  and  other  very 
rough  places  should  be  smoothed  up  in  order  to  make 

171 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    MAINTENANCE 

the  track  ride  fairly  well  and  to  make  it  absolutely 
safe. 

(21)  Putting  In  Ties — It  is  highly  desirable  to  get 
started  early  at  putting  in  ties,  to  push  the  work  as 
hard  as  possible,  and  thus  get  this  heavy  work  out  of 
the  way  while  the  days  are  cool,  at  which  time  labor  is 
more  plentiful  and  more  easily  obtained.     However, 
where  the  section  is  to  be  raised  out  of  a  face,  it  is  bet- 
ter to  wait  and  renew  ties  when  surfacing.     The  sub- 
ject of  putting  in  ties  was  considered  worthy  of  an  ex- 
tended treatment  and  was  discussed  in  detail  in  chap- 
ter V. 

(22)  Highway  Crossings — The  planks  of  highway 
crossings  are  quite  likely  to  be  heaved  up  by  the  frost 
in  the  winter  leaving  open  spaces  under  the  planks  for 
the  accumulation  of  ballast  and  rubbish.     Wherever 
this  has  occurred,  the  planks  should  be  taken  up,  accu- 
mulated  material   cleaned  out  and  the   planks  reset. 
Frayed  ends  of  planks  should  be  adzed  down.     Since 
the  automobile  has  become  so  common  it  is  especially 
necessary  nowadays  to  keep  crossings  in  first  class 
condition.   Crossing  planks  and  cattle  guards  removed 
for  the  flanger  may  now  be  replaced. 

(23  and  24)  Patching  Up  Fence— Right  of  way 
fence  and  wing  fences  which  have  been  broken  down 
or  damaged  should  be  repaired.  This  applies  espe- 
cially to  fences  across  water  courses,  etc.  At  the  same 
time  cattle  guards  should  be  carefully  mended  and 
repaired.  Doing  this  work  at  this  time  will  prevent 
stock  from  getting  onto  the  track,  and  prevent  damage 
claims. 

(25)  Sign  Posts — All  sign  posts  should  be  straight- 
ened up  and  placed  in  proper  position  so  that  they 

172 


SPRING    WORK 


may  most  easily  be  seen  by  those  whom  they  are 
meant  to  warn.  Particular  attention  should  be  given 
to  crossing  signs  so  that  automobile  drivers  will  be 
given  the  best  possible  warning. 

(26)  Expansion — The  gang  should  go  over  the  sec- 
tion the  first  real  warm  day  to  loosen  the  bolts  in 
joints  which  have  wide  expansion  and  thus  allow  the 
rails  to  run  up ;  after  which  the  bolts  should  be  again 
tightened  to  hold  the  expansion  more  evenly.  If  the 
angle  bars  stick  after  bolts  are  loosened,  a  smart  blow 
with  the  spike  maul  will  loosen  them.  Bolts  should 
be  tightened  wherever  they  need  it.  Bolts  should  not 
be  turned  excessively  tight,  as  when  they  are,  all  of 
the  spring  is  taken  out  of  the  bolt  and  the  nut-lock, 
and  the  bolt  will  stretch  when  subjected  to  the  strains 
of  passing  trains.  It  is  better  to  give  track  bolts 
attention  oftener  and  not  tighten  them  up  so  tight, 
than  to  spoil  them  by  using  long-handled  wrenches. 
Bolts  and  nut-locks  which  are  broken  or  are  in  bad 
order  should  be  replaced. 

Washouts,  Slides  and  Water  Pockets — The  track 
should  be  inspected  every  day  to  prevent,  if  possible, 
washouts  or  slides.  Ditches  and  waterways  through 
embankments  should  be  cleared  out,  and  if  necessary, 
in  times  of  danger  the  foreman  and  his  force  should 
stay  out  all  night  to  safeguard  the  track.  It  is  often 
possible  to  prevent  a  bad  washout  if  the  foreman  and 
his  men  are  on  the  job  to  place  bags  of  sand,  rip  rap, 
brush  or  other  similar  material  in  places  where  the 
embankment  first  starts  to  wash.  In,  or  after  a  dan- 
gerous storm,  the  track  should  be  inspected  from  end 
to  end  of  the  section  just  as  soon  as  the  men  can  get 
over  it.  The  best  man  in  the  gang  should  be  sent 

173 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

over  the  short  end  of  the  section  with  instructions  to 
flag  trains  if  he  finds  any  dangerous  spots.  The  fore- 
man should  then  take  the  other  end  of  the  section  and 
run  over  it  quickly  to  the  opposite  end  to  decide 
whether  there  are  any  spots  which  are  dangerous  for 
traffic ;  he  should  repair  no  track  until  he  has  ascer- 
tained whether  it  is  safe  for  trains  to  use  the  track  over 
his  entire  section.  The  foreman  can  then  go  back 
and  repair  places  where  a  large  gang  could  not  work, 
leaving  the  larger  holes  for  large  gangs  which  may 
be  sent.  After  inspecting  the  track,  the  foreman  should 
promptly  report  the  number  of  holes  washed  out  and 
the  amount  of  grade  washed  away,  also  the  fence, 
bridges  or  culverts  which  have  been  broken  down  and 
will  need  repairs,  sending  the  telegram  to  the  road- 
master  and  also  to  the  superintendent.  A  foreman  or 
man  who  is  inspecting  the  track  should  never  stop  to  flag 
at  the  first  hole  or  to  repair  it,  as  bad  or  worse  holes 
may  be  found  further  down  the  line. 

Conclusions — The  work  which  can  be  best  done  in 
cool  weather  should  be  laid  out  for  the  spring 
months.  Crowding  the  work  at  this  time  produces  the 
following  highly  desirable  results :  First — it  places  the 
track  forces  in  better  shape  for  hot  weather ;  second — 
a  better  class  of  men  can  be  obtained ;  and  third — the 
laborers  can  be  held  better  than  in  summer,  at  which 
time  farmers  and  people  in  other  industries  commence 
putting  on  men. 

In  the  early  spring  the  track  force  should  go  over 
the  entire  track,  surfacing  and  lining  only  the  worst 
spots  and  keeping  the  track  in  fair  surface  and  then 
get  started  on  the  work  of  putting  in  ties.  If  this  is 
done  the  work  of  tie  renewals  can  probably  be  finished 

174 


SPRING    WORK 


by  July  or  even  June  1st,  which  gives  the  entire  sum- 
mer season  to  get  the  track  in  first  class  shape  for  the 
next  winter. 

It  is  highly  desirable,  in  the  spring  especially,  that 
the  foremen  distinguish  between  work  which  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  and  that  which  it  is  desirable  to  do. 
For  instance,  the  foreman  when  he  starts  out  to  sur- 
face the  track  will  find  a  large  number  of  low  joints. 
If  he  stops  to  raise  them  all,  the  end  of  the  section 
will  be  so  rough  that  it  will  require  a  slow  order  long 
before  he  gets  there.  Only  those  places  should  be 
touched  which  are  so  bad  that  they  are  likely  to  cause 
comment  from  the  operating  people.  Such  places 
should  be  brought  up  to  surface  and  line  and  the  sec- 
tion covered  in  a  hurry.  The  same  thing  might  be 
said  of  all  of  the  work  done  during  the  spring  months. 
The  foreman  should  always  pick  out  that  job  which 
is  the  most  necessary  at  the  time  and  if  he  does  this 
he  will  find  that  his  work  runs  along  much  faster  and 
that  his  track  as  a  whole  is  in  much  better  shape  each 
succeeding  week. 

Much  work  has  to  be  done  over  again  because  it  is 
done  at  the  wrong  time ;  and  in  a  great  many  cases 
doing  a  job  at  the  wrong  time  will  make  it  much 
harder  to  do  the  work  which  follows  it.  It  is  so  essen- 
tial that  we  think  it  will  bear  repeating  to  say — "do 
each  day  that  work  which  is  the  most  necessary,  as 
viewed  from  present  conditions  and  its  effects  on  the 
future  work  to  be  done." 


175 


CHAPTER  IX. 
SUMMER  WORK. 

A  track  is  no  stronger  than  its  weakest  point.  It  is 
better  to  have  uniformly  fair  track  than  to  have  stretches 
of  excellent  track  mixed  in  ivith  stretches  of  poor  track. 

As  early  as  possible  in  the  summer  the  section 
foreman  should  start  at  one  end  of  his  section,  prefer- 
ably the  end  furthest  from  the  section  house,  and  give 
the  track  a  thorough  going  over,  surfacing,  lining, 
etc.  While  it  is  customary  on  some  roads  to  renew  ties 
in  the  summer,  it  will  be  found  better  if  such  work 
has  been  pushed  through  in  the  spring  time,  leaving 
the  summer  and  fall  for  general  repairs  to  track,  to 
allow  it  to  settle  and  be  in  first  class  shape  long  be- 
fore the  winter  months.  The  advantage  of  starting  at 
the  far  end  of  the  section  is  that  the  foreman  will 
ride  over  the  section  each  day  and  thus  can  inspect 
the  track  and  surface  any  exceptionally  rough  spots, 
or  repair  places  which  require  immediate  attention. 

The  full  force  should  be  kept  even  after  the  ties  are 
renewed,  so  that  the  work  of  surfacing  and  general 
repairs  to  the  section  may  make  appreciable  progress. 
With  a  gang  of  two  or  three  men  it  is  not  possible 
to  do  much  more  than  simply  raise  low  joints,  tighten 
bolts,  etc. 

The  track  should  be  given  a  raise  out  of  a  face 
every  three  years  to  prevent  "waves"  developing.  If 
this  system  is  followed,  the  tie  renewals  should  be 
made  mainly  in  the  section  surfaced  out  of  face  and 

176 


SUMMER    WORK 


at  the  time  of  surfacing.  The  remaining  two-thirds 
of  the  section  should  be  disturbed  no  more  than  abso- 
lutely necessary. 

The  summer  work  might  be  lined  up  somewhat  as 
follows : 

1.  Run  over  the  entire   section  quickly,  say  in  a 
week   or  ten  days,   and   surface  and   line  the  places 
which  are  roughest.     (One  roadmaster  has  applied  the 
term  "skirmishing"  to  this  work,  which  is  very  ex- 
pressive of  just  what  should  be  done.) 

2.  Finish  renewing  track  ties  if  this  work  is  not 
completed,  and  renew  switch  ties. 

3.  Dig  fire  guards  along  right  of  way  or  mow  fire- 
guard swaths  in  the  neighboring  fields. 

4.  Clean  up  station  grounds  and  right  of  way. 

5.  Start  the  general  surfacing  and  cleaning  up  at 
one  end  of  the  section   (unless  general  ballasting  or 
relaying  is  to  be  done) — this  work  to  include — 

A — Bringing  up  and  leveling  all  low  joints  and 

low  spots. 

B — Taking  kinks  out  of  gage  side  of  track. 
C — Full  tamping,  filling  in  centers,  and  dressing 

track  out  of  a  face. 
D — Cleaning    shoulder    of    weeds    and    trimming 

grass  line. 

E — Strengthening  weak  points  in  embankments. 
F — Replacing  joint  ties  where  rail  has  run  and 

straightening  up  ties   not   square  across  the 

track. 
G — Doing  any  other  small  jobs,  such  as  driving 

down  spikes,  tightening  bolts,  etc.,  in  order 

to  leave  each   section  of  track  in  first  class 

shape. 

177 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

6.  Mow  right  of  way.     (It  will  probably  be  neces- 
sary to  interrupt  the  work  of  general  surfacing  to  do 
this  work ;  some  state  laws  require  the  right  of  way 
to  be  mowed  at  certain  times.) 

7.  Cut  track  weeds. 

8.  Burn  over  right  of  way  as  soon  as  dry. 

9.  Make   permanent    repairs   to   interlocking   and 
switches. 

10.  Inspect  and  repair  grade  crossings. 

11.  Inspect  and  repair  highway  crossings. 

12.  Inspect  and  repair  fences. 

1.  Skirmishing — The  foreman  should  always  keep 
close  watch  of  his  entire  section  and  immediately  raise 
any  spots   which   become   rough  enough   to  be   espe- 
cially  noticeable   on   trains,   but   leaving  the   regular 
work  of  summer  surfacing  no  oftener  than  absolutely 
necessary.    The  foreman  should  use  his  best  judgment, 
and  never  allow  his  inclination  to  put  the  adjacent 
track  in  first  class  shape  to  cause  him  to  spend  too 
much  time  in  such  work. 

The  foreman  should  go  over  his  track  occasionally 
with  the  express  purpose  of  taking  care  of  rough  spots 
or  places  in  need  of  immediate  repair.  A  good  fore- 
man will  run  over  his  section  in  a  week,  or  at  most 
ten  days,  three  or  four  times  a  year,  or  oftener,  to  pick 
up  such  spots.  The  level  should  always  be  used  in 
raising  the  low  places. 

2.  Renewing  Switch  Ties — Switch  ties  are  some- 
what harder  to  handle  than  track  ties ;  and  therefore 
switch  tie  renewals  should  be  made  when  the  gang 
is  at  its  maximum  size.     It  is  also  usually  necessary 
to  do  more  digging  to  remove  switch  ties  because  they 
are  longer  than  track  ties,  and  adjacent  tracks  inter- 

178 


SUMMER    WORK 


fere  when  pulling  them  out.  It  will  frequently  be 
found  economical  to  jack  up  the  track  a  little,  in  order 
to  get  the  ties  out  without  doing  an  excessive  amount 
of  digging,  a  method  being  adopted  which  will  pre- 
vent ballast  from  running  under  any  spiked  ties  and 
spoiling  the  surface  of  the  track. 

Methods  of  Renewing  Switch  Ties — Switch  ties  may 
be  renewed  (1)  the  same  as  track  ties,  putting  in  one 
or  two  at  a  time;  (2)  the  ballast  may  be  stripped  out, 
the  track  flagged,  the  spikes  removed,  rails  jacked  up 
and  all  of  the  rotten  ties  taken  out  at  once  and  re- 
placed;  (3)  the  ballast  may  be  stripped  out,  spikes 
taken  out  of  eight  or  ten  rotten  ties  and  these  re- 
newed, after  which  another  section  of  the  switch  may 
be  handled  in  the  same  manner;  (4)  the  ballast  may  be 
stripped  out  of  the  entire  switch,  the  flags  sent  out, 
the  spikes  removed  from  half  the  ties,  switch  ties  put 
in  and  enough  spiked  to  hold  the  track,  after  which 
the  rest  of  the  old  ties  may  be  removed,  the  switch 
ties  spaced  correctly  and  spiked.  (For  more  detailed 
description  of  the  several  methods  of  putting  in  switch 
ties,  see  "Practical  Track  Work,"  page  105.) 

3. — Digging  Fire  Guards — Many  times  the  foremen 
neglect  to  dig  fire  guards  and  in  a  dry  summer  this  is 
quite  likely  to  lead  to  extensive  fire  losses — ^sometimes 
amounting  to  much  more  than  the  entire  expense  of 
the  section  gang  for  the  summer  months.  As  the 
prevention  of  fire  is  very  essential,  roadmasters  and 
supervisors  should  insist  that  fire  guards  and  all  other 
possible  protection  be  given  first  attention  as  soon  as 
the  grass  begins  to  get  dry.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
important  jobs  for  the  early  summer.  A  swath  CO 
ft.  wide  may  be  mowed  in  the  fields  150  to  200  ft.  back 

179 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

of  the  right  of  way  fence,  or  if  farmers  will  not  allow 
this,  the  foreman  should  have  a  double  furrow  plowed 
close  to  the  fence.  Engine  sparks  will  frequently 
carry  beyond  the  right  of  way,  hence  the  advisability 
of  going  beyond  the  fence  line  for  fire  protection. 

4.  General  Cleaning  Up — Since  the  public  is  greatly 
impressed   by   the   appearance   of   the   roadway,   it   is 
usually  advisable  to  give  the  station  grounds  and  right 
of  way  a  general  cleaning  up   before   starting  in  on 
general  surfacing.     If  necessary  a  certain  number  of 
days  of  each  month  should  be  set  aside  to  keep  the 
station  grounds  and  right  of  way  clean.     It  is  a  fact 
that  the  appearance  of  a  roadbed  has  a  lot  to  do  with 
the  impression  which  passengers,  or  even  many  offi- 
cials gain  of  the  road.  A  track  which  is  well  dressed  off 
and  looks  clean,  even  if  it  is  a  little  rough,  will  many 
times  impress  passengers  as  smooth  riding  track. 

5.  General  Surfacing. — Most  of  the  time  in  summer 
should  be  given  over  to  a  general  overhauling,  sur- 
facing and  leveling  of  the  section;  and  while  it  will 
be    necessary    to    interrupt    this    work    for    weeding, 
mowing  and  burning  the  right  of  way,  etc.,  the  fore- 
man should  always  keep  in  mind  that  the  main  work 
is  to  start  at  one  end  of  the  section  and  work  progres- 
sively toward  the  other  end,  leaving  a  finished  piece 
of  track  behind  each  day.     Wet  weather  may  also  in- 
terrupt this  work,  although  with  good  gravel  or  stone 
on  a  good  sub-grade,  surfacing  may  be  done  as  well 
after  a  storm  as  any  other  kind  of  work  with  the  pos- 
sible  exception  of  tightening  bolts  or  driving  down 
spikes.    The  level  should  be  used  constantly;  it  should 
be  tested  each  morning  by  laying  on  a  piece  of  track 
and  noting  the  position  of  the  bubble,  then  turning  the 

180 


SUMMER    WORK 


level  end  for  end  and  noting  whether  the  bubble  takes 
the  same  position.  An  imperfect  level  should  not  be 
used;  where  a  good  level  is  temporarily  unobtainable 
a  wooden  shim  should  be  made  and  nailed  to  one  side 
of  the  level,  its  thickness  being  made  so  that  it  cor- 
rects the  error. 

The  sags  should  be  taken  out  of  the  high  side  of 
tangent  track,  and  the  low  side  brought  up  with  the 
level.  On  curves  the  low  side  should  usually  be  sur- 
faced and  the  high  side  raised  with  the  level.  When 
there  is  too  much  elevation,  however,  this  process  will 
have  to  be  reversed. 

During  threatening  weather  it  is  a  good  idea  to 
work  near  the  section  house  where  the  men  may  ob- 
tain shelter.  It  is  sometimes  possible  to  do  the 
station-grounds'  cleaning  entirely  on  such  days.  The 
surfacing  at  the  station  should  be  done  on  threaten- 
ing days  when  it  is  advisable  to  keep  the  men  close 
to  shelter. 

It  is  good  practice  to  raise  the  track  out  of  a  face 
once  every  three  years,  the  best  way  to  do  this  being 
to  raise  a  third  of  the  section  each  year.  Unless  this 
is  done  the  track  will  get  wavy,  although  the  joints 
can  be  kept  surfaced  up  so  that  it  will  ride  smoothly. 
If  this  system  is  followed,  the  tie  renewals  should  be 
made  in  the  third  of  the  track  surfaced  to  a  face,  at 
the  same  time  the  raising  is  done.  Spikes  should 
always  be  tapped  down  tight  ahead  of  the  surfacing 
gang,  so  that  the  ties  will  come  up  snug  with  the  rail 
when  the  track  is  raised. 

(A)  Lining — When  going  over  the  section  giving  it 
a  general  surfacing,  the  foreman  should  stop  raising 
early  enough  in  the  afternoons  to  fully  tamp,  line,  fill 

181 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

and  dress  up  the  track.  The  lining  should  always  be 
done  before  the  track  is  dressed  up.  The  foreman 
should  stand  straddling  the  rail  with  his  back  to  the 
sun  when  lining.  Long  swings  can  be  lined  out  if 
the  foreman  will  stay  an  eighth  or  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  liners.  Short  kinks  can  best  be  lined  out 
by  getting  up  150  to  200  ft.  from  the  liners. 

(B)  'Gauging — As  soon  as  the   foreman  has  taken 
the  kinks  out  of  the  line  side  he  should   delegate  a 
couple  of  men  to  take  all  the  kinks  out  of  the  gauge 
side.     Sometimes,  where  track  is  badly  out  of  gauge, 
it  is  necessary  to  have  the  track  gauged  before  it  can 
be  lined  up  correctly.     When  trouble  is  experienced 
in  getting  a  short  kink  lined  out,  the  track  should  be 
tested  and  then  gauged,  if  necessary,  after  which  the 
lining  may  be  completed.     If  the  foreman  will  keep 
gauging  constantly  in  mind  as  he  goes  over  the  track, 
it  will  enable  him  to  maintain  better  line  as  well  as 
give  a  better  riding  track. 

(C)  Dressing   Up — The  track   should  be   carefully 
filled  in  and  dressed  out  of  a  face  as  the  work  pro- 
gresses, except  possibly  in  stone  ballast.     The  ballast 
should  be   shouldered  off  and  lined  to  standard  and 
everything   completed.      It   is   bad    practice   to   leave 
gravel   or   inferior   ballasted   track   without   filling   in 
and   dressing  it,   particularly  in  a  wet  climate,  as  in 
a  heavy  storm  the  water  will  collect  in  the  holes  left 
and  will  let  the  track  down,  necessitating  resurfacing; 
water  will  sometimes  accumulate  enough  to  cause  churn- 
ing. 

(D)  Weeding — It    is    economical    practice    not    to 
weed  off  the  shoulder  till  the  surfacing  is  being  done, 
at    which    time    many    weeds    will    be    uprooted    or 

182 


SUMMER    WORK 


tramped  down  in  the  process.  The  shoulder  should 
then  be  thoroughly  weeded,  thus  giving  the  newly 
surfaced  track  the  finished  appearance  which  is  so 
desirable. 

(E)  Strengthening  Embankment — Unless  embank- 
ments are  strengthened,  the  work  of  surfacing  may 
be  partially  wasted,  for  a  weak  point  in  the  embank- 
ment will  allow  the  gravel  to  run  away  and  let  the 
track   down   again.      For  this   reason,   weak   spots  in 
the  bank  should  be  strengthened  when  or  immediately 
after  surfacing  by  throwing  up  dirt  from  the  foot  of 
the   embankment,   or  possibly  by  hauling  some  dirt 
from  a  place  where  the  bank  is  too  wide.     When  the 
section  forces  are  too  small,  extra  gangs  should  be 
put  on  to  strengthen  weak  embankments. 

(F)  Respacing  Joint  Ties — In  order  to  make  a  com- 
plete job  of  the  surfacing,  the  ties  should  be  respaced 
wherever  the  spacing  is  bad.     If  joint  and  shoulder 
ties  are  not  properly  spaced,  they  \vill  not  give  the 
necessary   support   to   the   newly   surfaced  track   and 
will  let  the  joints  get  low  again.    Where  rails  are  an- 
chored  by   slot   spiking  at   joints,   rail   creeping  will 
cause  the  joint  ties  to  be  shoved  off  of  their  beds, 
leaving  a  wide  space  on  one  side  of  the  joint  and  a 
very  narrow  space  on  the  other,  bulging  up  the  ballast 
ahead  of  the  joint  and  leaving  scant  ballast  back  of 
the  joint.     Such  conditions  should  be  corrected. 

6.  Mowing  Right  of  Way — \Vherever  possible  the 
weeds  on  the  right  of  way  should  be  cut  by  mowing 
machines,  as  it  takes  the  section  gang  off  of  its 
regular  work  too  long  to  have  it  done  by  hand.  It 
is  often  possible  to  hire  farmers  to  mow  the  weeds 
and  sometimes  old  ties  or  timbers  may  be  given  in 

183 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

part  payment  for  the  work.  It  is  a  good  deal  cheaper 
to  do  the  work  by  machine  than  by  hand.  One  mow- 
ing machine  will  do  as  much  work  as  a  whole  gang 
of  men,  and  frequently  more. 

There  are,  however,  some  rough  sections  where 
mowing  machines  cannot  be  used  at  all,  and  even 
when  they  are  used  there  may  be  a  good  deal  of 
trimming  to  be  done  with  scythes.  A  grindstone 
should  be  provided  for  the  gang  to  keep  the  scythes 
sharp,  as  a  man  will  do  at  least  twice  as  much  work 
with  a  sharp  tool. 

7.  Cutting  Track  Weeds — In  some  ballast,  the 
track  weeds  will  become  so  noticeable  that  they  will 
cause  comment  by  higher  officials  long  before  the 
foreman  can  get  over  his  section  with  the  surfacing. 
In  this  case  the  work  will  have  to  be  interrupted  and 
the  gang  started  over  the  section  to  do  weeding. 
Ordinary  No.  2  shovels  should  not  be  used  for  this 
work,  as  they  are  not  only  harder  for  the  laborers  to 
use,  but  cut  down  the  amount  of  work  accomplished. 
A  long  handled  scuffle  hoe  is  not  only  much  easier 
to  use,  but  with  it  a  man  can  accomplish  about  twice 
as  much  work  as  with  an  ordinary  shovel.  The  tools 
should  be  ground  often  enough  to  keep  them  sharp; 
time  spent  in  sharpening  the  tools  will  be  more  than 
repaid  by  the  increased  amount  of  work  the  laborers 
do. 

Chemicals  and  Weed  Burners — Several  machines 
for  burning  track  weeds  are  on  the  market,  as  well 
as  appliances  for  spraying  the  ballast  with  a  chemical 
which  will  kill  weeds.  Either  of  these  methods  are  a 
help  to  the  trackman  and  especially  so  on  those  lines 
where  the  foreman  cannot  find  the  time  to  devote  to 

184 


SUMMER    WORK 


weeding  which  is  necessary  if  his  track  is  to  be  kept 
clean.  The  relative  economy  of  burning  as  compared 
with  chemically  killing  the  weeds  has  yet  to  be  dem- 
onstrated. 

8.  Burning   the   Right  of   Way — As   soon   as   the 
weeds  which  have  been  mowed  are  dry  enough,  the 
right  of  way  should  be  burned  over  in  order  to  pre- 
vent fires  starting  and  spreading  to  adjoining  prop- 
erty.    If  possible  a  day  should  be  picked  out  when 
there  is  not  much  breeze,  so  that  the  fire  can  be  easily 
kept  under  the   control  of  the  section  forces.     Fires 
should  be  started  at  the  fence  line  and  burned  toward 
the  track,  if  possible,  as  in  this  way  the  gang  can 
cover  much  greater  territory,  it  being  simply  neces- 
sary to  start  the  fire  and  after  a  fairly  wide  swath  has 
been  burned,  put  out  the  fire  at  the  fence  line,  the 
rest  of  the  right  of  way  burning  over  up  to  the  track 
without   much   further  attention. 

9.  Interlocking  and   Switch  Repairs — It  is  neces- 
sary    to     give     the     interlocking     attachments     and 
switches  a  thorough  inspection  during  the  summer  in 
order  to  renew  any  parts  which  were  missed  in  the 
spring,   or   which   may   have   become   defective   since 
that  time. 

10.  Railway     Grade     Crossings — Railway     grade 
crossings  require  frequent  surfacing,  especially  those 
crossings    which    are    at    right   angles    or    nearly    so. 
Special  attention  should  be  given  to  them  after  heavy 
rains,   and  new  crossing  frogs  should  be  ordered  in 
plenty  of  time  so  that  they  will  be  received  for  re- 
newal   before    the    old    crossings   become    dangerous. 
Summer  is  the  best  time  to  renew  crossings  provided 
the  section  gang  is  maintained  at  its  full  strength.    It 

185 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

may  be  necessary  to  double  up  several  section  gangs 
in  order  to  handle  a  renewal,  in  which  case  the  work 
should  be  done  at  a  time  when  it  will  conflict  least 
with  the  general  progress  of  maintenance  work. 

11.  Highway  Crossings — Highway  grade  crossings 
will  require  some  attention  during  this  period,  espe- 
cially if  there  have  been  heavy  rains  and  ruts  have 
developed  at  the  crossings  or  in  the  approaches.   Pub- 
lic  opinion   is  unfavorably  impressed  by  the  way  in 
which  some  grade  crossings  are  maintained,  and  the 
prevention    of    accidents    caused    by    automobiles    or 
motor   trucks   stalling  on   the   crossings,   is   a   strong 
argument   for   their   proper   maintenance.      The   long 
wheel  bases  of  touring  cars  require  that  the  approach 
to  a  crossing  be  well  rounded  off  so  that  there  will 
be  no  danger  of  the  body  of  the  automobile  hitting 
the   crossing  and   stalling  when   the   front   and   back 
wheels  are  on  the  approaches. 

12.  Fences — Fences   should   be   inspected   and   re- 
pairs constantly  made  so  that  stock  will  be  prevented 
from  getting  onto  the  right  of  way  or  onto  the  track. 
The  foreman  should  watch  the  gates  opening  onto  the 
right  of  way  on  every  trip  he  makes  over  the  section, 
closing  any  which  are  left  open.    The  farmers  should 
be   asked   to   keep   the   gates   closed   and   if  they  are 
treated  diplomatically,  their  co-operation  may  be  ob- 
tained. 

Conclusions — While  the  general  surfacing  of  the 
section  should  be  the  principal  summer  work,  the 
foreman  should  not  fail  to  take  care  of  other  features 
which  require  his  urgent  attention,  such  as  weeding, 
repairing  rough  places,  making  fire  guards,  and  doing 
emergency  work. 

186 


CHAPTER  XI. 
FALL  WORK. 

A  track  is  no  stronger  than  its  weakest  point.  It  is 
better  to  have  uniformly  fair  track  than  to  have  stretches 
of  excellent  track  mired  in  with  stretches  of  poor  track. 

The  foreman  should  bear  in  mind  all  through  the  fall 
that  it  will  be  impossible  to  do  much  work  on  the 
track  during  the  winter,  particularly  on  northern  roads, 
and  every  hour  should  be  used  for  the  work  which  is 
most  important.  The  following  program  of  work  is 
suggested : 

1.  Finish  surfacing  if  not  completed. 

2.  Run  over  the  entire  section  surfacing  and  lin- 
ing any  low  places  which  have  developed  since  the 
summer  work. 

3.  Cut  and  burn  over  weeds  on  the  right  of  way; 
clean  up  station  grounds. 

4.  Repair  road  crossings  and  holes  in  driveways  or 
highways  and  approaches. 

5.  Set  up  flanger  signs. 

6.  Clean  surface  and  track  ditches  and  if  possible 
place  the  material  where  it  will  strengthen  embank- 
ments. 

7.  Drain  water  pockets  or  soft  spots  in  the  road- 
bed. 

8.  Clean   drain  pipes,  culverts,  cross  ditches  and 
other  waterways. 

9.  Adjust  the  expansion  on  warm  days,  renewing 
bolts  and  angle  bars  and  tightening  bolts. 

187 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

10.  Re-gage  track  where  necessary  and  tap  down 
all  loose  spikes  snugly  to  the  rail. 

11.  Repair  switches,  frogs  and  guard  rails,  renew- 
ing or  respiking  plates  and  braces  where  necessary. 

12.  Dig  snow  holes  for  switches,  guard  rails,  mov- 
able  point    and    spring   rail    frogs   and    also    around 
movable  interlocking  appliances;  clean  ballast  away 
from  rail  bases  to  prevent  short-circuiting  the  signal 
circuits. 

13.  Repair  side  tracks  and  make  necessary  renew- 
als. 

14.  Run   over  the   section,   giving  the   low   places 
the  last  touching  up  just  before  the  frost  gets  into  the 
ground. 

15.  Make  estimates  of  new  ties,  crossing  planks, 
etc. 

AFTER  THE  GROUND  FREEZES. 

16.  Set  up  portable  snow  fences. 

17.  Check  up  winter  tools  and  supplies. 

18.  Inspect  and  tighten  anti-creepers. 

19.  Put  repair  rails  and  angle  bars  on  rail  seats. 

20.  Repair  fences. 

21.  Place  angle  bars,  braces,  tie  plates,  joint  plates, 
etc.,  on  platform  of  ties  to  prevent  being  covered  with 
snow. 

22.  Place  rip  rap  around  abutments,  piers  and  em- 
bankments which  are  subject  to  ice  gorges. 

(1)  Surfacing — The  general  surfacing  of  the  section 
should  have  been  finished  in  the  summer,  but  if  not 
completed,  it  should  have  preference   over  all   other 
work  in  the  fall. 

(2)  Low  Places  in  Track — Low  places  which  have 

188 


FALL    WORK 


developed  since  the  summer's  work  on  any  part  of  the 
section  should  be  picked  up.  It  is  not  advisable,  in 
some  localities,  to  disturb  gravel  ballasted  track 
for  a  general  surface  later  than  September,  but  it  is 
possible  to  surface  in  stone  ballast  until  the  ground 
freezes. 

(3)  Weeding — The  weeds  and  grass  on  the  right 
of  way  should  be  burned  over  in  the  fall,  before  the 
seeds  have  scattered.     Particular  attention  should  be 
paid  to  burning  around  piling,  fence  and  sign  posts 
in  order  to   prevent   them   taking   fire.    The   station 
grounds  should  be  cleaned  up  also  at  this  time  and 
made  as  neat  as  possible. 

(4)  Repairing   Road   Crossings   and   Approaches— 
Any  defective  planks  in  road  crossings  should  be  re- 
newed and  holes  in  the  right  of  way  should  be  filled 
up  with  suitable  material.     The  foreman  should  bear 
in  mind  that  any  imperfections  left  in  highways  and 
approaches  will  leave  the  road  rough  during  the  entire 
time  the  ground  is  frozen. 

(5)  Flanger  Signs — The  flanger  signs  should  all  be 
put  up  in  their  proper  locations,  in  readiness  for  the 
first  snow  storm. 

(6)  Ditching — Surface  and  track  ditches  should  be 
cleaned   out   and   the   material   should   be   carried   to 
places  where  it  may  be  used  to  strengthen  the  weak 
places  in  embankments,  if  possible.     The  use  of  the 
gasoline  motor  car  and  dumpy  as  a  trailer  makes  it 
profitable  to  carry  dirt  a  good  deal  farther  than  for- 
merly.    Ditching  is   often   done  by   extra   gangs,   so 
that  in  some  cases  this  work  would  not  fall  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  section  foreman.     But  where  extra 
help  is  not  allowed,  the  section  foreman  must  do  as 

189 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

much  of  this  work  as  he  can  with  the  available  force. 
We  illustrate  herewith  a  dump'car  used  with  a  gaso- 
line section  car  for  hauling  dirt,  where  a  dirt  train 
would  not  be  justified.  The  top  of  the  push  car  is 
about  5  ft.  wide  and  each  dump  box  is  made  about 
seven-eighths  of  this  width,  or  about  3^  ft.  wide.  The 
distance  A  in  the  sketc%h  is  about  1  in.  less  than  half 
the  width  of  the  top  of  the  car,  or  about  2  ft.  6  in.,  and 
B  is  about  1  in.  more  than  three-eighths  the  width  of 
the  top  of  the  car,  or  1  ft.  11  in.  The  depth  is  about 
one-third  the  width  of  the  top  or  the  car,  or  1  ft.  8  in. 
The  cleats  should  be  nailed  on  the  boxes,  as  shown,  so 
that  the  boxes  when  dumped  will  not  slide  off,  but 
will  engage  the  cleat  nailed  on  the  dump  car.  The 


Fig.  15 — Dump  Boxes  for  Hauling  Dirt. 

bottom  of  the  dump  box  should  be  made  so  that  the 
dirt  when  sliding  out  will  run  with  and  not  across  the 
grain  of  the  bottom  boards.  Dressed  lumber  should  be 

190 


FALL    WORK 


used  for  the  bottom  boards  and  painting  them  will 
also  make  it  easier  for  the  dirt  to  slide  off. 

The  material  which  is  taken  out  of  surface  ditches 
on  the  top  of  the  cuts  should  be  placed  where  it  will 
not  again  be  washed  into  either  the  surface  or  track 
ditch.  If  it  is  impossible  to  spare  the  time  to  carry 
the  dirt  away,  the  best  place  to  waste  it  is  between 
the  surface  ditch  and  the  top  of  the  slope  of  the  cut. 

(7)  Soft  Spots — It  is  particularly  advantageous  to 
drain  out  all  soft  spots,  water  pockets,  etc.,  in  the 
roadbed  before  winter,  as  the  presence  of  water  in  the 
sub-grade  will  cause  heaving  track.     Many  methods 
have  been  followed  in  draining  water  pockets,  but  a 
description  of  them  would  be  too  lengthy  to  be  in- 
cluded in  this  book.    The  usual  procedure  is  to  drain 
by  means  of  French  drains,  cross  tiling,   etc.     The 
method  used  in  each  case  should  be  governed  by  the 
conditions,    the    method   to    be   specified   by   the   road- 
master  or  engineer  after  an  investigation  has  been 
made  to  determine  just  which  the  conditions  are  under 
the  track.     The  foreman  should  call  the  attention  of 
the  roadmaster  to  all  places  which  need  attention  and 
arrange  for  the  investigation  to  be  made. 

(8)  Drain   Pipes,   Culverts,   Etc. — All   drain   pipes, 
culverts  and  ditches  which  cross  the  right  of  way 
should  be  cleaned  out,  so  that  there  will  be  no  chance 
of  the  water  being  dammed  up.     These  waterways 
should  all  be  of  such  size  and  kept  in  such  condition 
that  the  current  will  increase  as  it  approaches  and  as 
it  leaves  the  roadway.     If  the  current  is  decreased 
there  will  be  a  deposit  of  mud,  silt  and  debris  which 
will  gradually  dam  up  the  waterway.    Ditches  should 
be  cleaned  to  the  edge  of  the  right  of  way,  and  if  it 

191 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

appears  advisable,  for  some  distance  beyond  the  right 
of  way  line,  with  the  consent  of  the  owner.  Clean 
cross  ditches,  drain  pipes,  etc.,  will  prevent  the  water 
from  backing  up  and  may  prevent  a  washout. 

(9)  Expansion — On  the  first  real  cold  day  the  ex- 
pansion  should   be   adjusted   in   a   somewhat   similar 
manner  to  the  way  it  is  adjusted  in  the  spring.     The 
joints  which  are  tight  up,  however,  are  the  ones  which 
should  be  loosened  at  this  time,  so  that  the  rails  may 
loosen  and  pull  apart  and  thus  equalize  the  expansion. 
Bolts  should  be  tightened  wherever  necessary. 

(10)  Regaging — Regaging  can   be   done  profitably 
during  the  fall,  when  other  work  isn't  pressing.     Par- 
ticular attention  should  be  given  to  those  places  where 
no  gaging  was  done  in  the  summer.     It  may  also  be 
possible  to  turn  in  canted  rails,  reset  tie  plates  and 
do  the  necessary  adzing  which  these  jobs  require.    All 
old  spike  holes  should  be  plugged  up. 

(11)  Repairing  Switches,   Frogs,  Etc. — All  switch 
points,  frogs  and  guard  rails  which  need  repairs  or 
changing  out  should  receive  attention  before  winter 
sets  in.     Where  no  changes  are  necessary  these  ap- 
pliances  should   be   given   a   careful   going  over,   re- 
gaging,  spiking,  bolting  and  making  other  necessary 
repairs.     Slide  plates  and  braces  should  be  replaced 
or  straightened,  or  adzing  done  to  give  them  a  more 
even  bearing. 

(12)  Snow   Holes — Snow   holes   about   4   in.    deep 
should  be  dug  under  switch  rails,  movable  frog  points 
or  spring  frog  rails,  and  guard  rails,  so  that  snow  may 
easily  be  removed.    Wherever  possible  ditches  should 
be  provided  for  draining  these  holes  out,  or  in  some 
cases  pipe  may  be  used  for  this  purpose.    Good  drain- 

192 


FALL    WORK 


age  should  also  be  provided  around  railroad  and  high- 
way crossings,  water  cranes,  etc.  Ditches  should  be 
made  rounding  and  the  shoulder  dug  down  level  with 
bottom,  leaving  the  ground  in  such  a  condition  that 
there  will  be  no  danger  of  persons  stepping  into  holes 
and  falling.  Ballast  should  be  cleaned  away  from  the 
rails  all  along  the  section  and  around  switches,  to  pre- 
vent short-circuiting  the  signal  circuits. 

(13)  Side  Track  Repairs  and  Renewals — On  some 
roads  it  is  the  practice  to  leave  the  side  track  repairs 
and  renewals  until  fall.     Although  poor  practice,  sec- 
ond-hand main  line  ties  are  sometimes  used  in  side 
tracks,  in  which  case  the  renewals  should  certainly  be 
made  in  the  fall,  so  that  ties  taken  out  the  previous 
summer  can  be  used.     There  is  no  economy  in  using 
second-hand  ties  unless  they  are  good  for  more  than 
three  years'   service.     Otherwise  the   cost  of  tie  re- 
newals, from  lOc  to  20c,  will  overbalance  any  saving 
made  in  using  second-hand  timber.     (The  cost  of  tie 
renewals  can  frequently  be  decreased  by  using  one  of 
the  methods  described  in  Chapter  XIV,  Yard  Main- 
tenance.) 

(14)  Surfacing  and  Lining — Just  before  the  ground 
is  due  to  freeze  the  foreman  should  run  over  his  sec- 
tion again  to  surface  and  line  any  bad  places  which 
otherwise    would    require    early    shimming    or    spike 
lining.     He  should  bear  in  mind   that   any  work  of 
this  nature  done  just  before  the  ground  freezes  will 
save  him  many  hours'  work  in  the  winter,  beside  giv- 
ing a  better  track  than  if  shimmed  or  spike  lined. 

(15)  Estimates — Estimates  should  be  made  of  ma- 
terial needed  for  renewals,  including  track  and  switch 
ties,  crossing  planks,  fence  materials,  rail  anchors,  etc. 

193 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

(16)  Portable  Snow  Fences — Portable  snow  fences 
should  be   erected  before   there   is  any   likelihood   of 
snow.     The  location  of  the  fence  should  be  governed 
by  the  nature  of  the  surrounding  country.     For  a  long 
slope,  the  fence  should  be  placed  at  the  edge  of  the 
right  of  way,  or  even  beyond  the  right  of  way  if  per- 
mission can  be  obtained.     In  other  places  where  the 
slope  is  sharp  the  fence  should  be  placed  much  closer 
to  the  track,  otherwise  it  will  be  covered  with  snow 
after  the  first  snow  storm  and  thereafter  do  no  good. 

(17)  Winter    Tools    and    Supplies— The    foreman 
should  check  up  his  complement  of  winter  tools  and 
be  sure  that  there  is  nothing  lacking  when  the  first 
snow   falls.     He   should   have  a   full   complement   of 
rattan  brooms,  snow  shovels,  salt  for  switches,  hand 
car  brooms   and   broom-holders,   track   shims,   braces 
and  second-hand  spikes.    He  should  also  have  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  frost  spikes  for  his  requirements. 

AFTER    THE    GROUND    FREEZES. 

(18)  Rail    Anchors — Rail    anchors    should    be    in- 
spected before  the  first  snow,  and  those  which  are 
loose  tightened   up   so  that  they  will   need   no   more 
attention  during  the  winter. 

(19)  Emergency     Rails — Emergency     rails,     with 
angle  bars  loosely  bolted  to  them,  should  be  placed 
on  the  rail  rests.     The  rail  rests  should  be  located  at 
points  where  the  snow  is  not  likely  to  get  so  deep  as 
to  cover  them  up.     Rail  rests  should  be  located  on  an 
average  of  not  less  than  a  mile  apart.     When  angle 
bars  break  new  ones  can  be  obtained  quickly  from  the 
rail  rests.     When  a  rail  is  used  the  angle  bars  can  be 
taken  off  and  replaced  on  the  new  rail  which  is  brought 
out  and  set  up  in  the  rail  rests. 

194 


FALL    WORK 


(20)  Repairing  Fences — Light  repairs  on  snow  and 
right-of-way  fences   may  be   made  after  the  ground 
freezes,  and   when   it  is   impossible  to   do   surfacing, 
lining  or  to  make  renewals.     Snow  fences   properly 
located  and  properly  erected  reduce  winter  work  and 
prevent  traffic  delays. 

(21)  Piling    Up    Material— Platforms    of    sufficient 
height  to  prevent  such  material  from  being  covered 
with  snow  should  be  erected,  and  angle  bars,  tie  plates, 
braces,  etc.,  piled  on  them. 

(22)  Rip  Rap — The  rip  rap  at  abutments,  piers  and 
embankments  which  are  subject  to  ice  gorges,  should 
be    inspected    and    strengthened    by    rearranging   the 
stones  to  give  the  best  protection.     Where  the  haul 
is  not  too  great,  rocks  taken  out  of  track  ditches  should 
be  transported  to  places  where  rip  rap  is  needed. 

Conclusions — The  work  of  the  fall  months  should 
be  confined  to  that  which  will  make  the  track  best 
able  to  withstand  winter  conditions.  The  foreman 
should  constantly  keep  in  mind  that  his  track  is  re- 
ceiving the  last  surfacing,  lining,  etc.,  for  from  four 
to  six  months  and  he  should  take  particular  pains  to 
see  that  all  the  worst  places  are  given  attention. 
Cleaning  up  ditches  and  waterways  is  the  most  impor- 
tant part  of  fall  track  work  because  drainage  is 
especially  needed  in  winter  and  spring.  Track  foremen 
will  do  well  to  constantly  remember  what  one  road- 
master  has  to  say  about  drainage,  viz :  "Water  is  the 
track's  worst  enemy  and  the  further  it  is  kept  away 
from  the  track,  the  better." 


195 


CHAPTER  XI. 
WINTER  WORK. 

It  sounds  strange  to  say  that  most  winter  track 
work  should  be  done  in  the  fall.  But  if  the  track  is 
properly  prepared  for  the  winter  during  the  fall 
months,  there  will  be  very  little  repairing  to  be  done 
and  the  track  forces  will  be  available,  almost  continu- 
ously, for  cleaning  snow  and  ice  from  the  track.  Good 
preparation  for  the  winter  means  less  shimming,  and 
consequently  a  better  riding  and  safer  track.  The 
entire  time  of  the  track  forces  should  be  available 
when  heavy  snow  storms  come — there  should  be  no 
small  repairs  to  take  part  of  the  men  away  from  where 
they  are  urgently  needed. 

There  is  a  general  tendency  to  increase  the  scope 
of  winter  work,  and  in  the  clear  weather  between 
storms,  to  do  such  work  as  distributing  ties  and  rails 
for  the  following  year,  adzing  rail  seats  and  even  re- 
laying rail.  The  advantage  of  doing  such  work  in  the 
winter  is  that  experienced  men  can  then  be  retained, 
as  year  around  employment  is  a  great  incentive  for 
them  to  remain  in  the  service.  And  unless  weather 
conditions  are  unfavorable,  a  larger  day's  work  can 
be  done  than  in  the  hot  summer  months.  Not  only 
that,  but  when  the  spring  work  opens  up,  the  gangs 
will  be  well  organized,  thus  saving  time  and  money. 
Doing  work  in  the  winter  which  has  formerly  been 
done  in  the  summer,  greatly  relieves  the  summer  short- 
age of  track  laborers,  and  there  is  usually  a  surplus  of 
laborers  in  the  winter. 

106 


WINTER     WORK 


The  most  important  winter  work  is  to  keep  the  track 
open  for  traffic.  A  sufficient  force,  well  equipped, 
should  be  hired  and  ready  immediately  after  the 
abatement  of  a  storm  to  open  up  traffic,  or  if  possible, 
to  prevent  a  tie-up.  Additional  snow  fences  may  have 
to  be  quickly  raised  to  guard  against  another  storm. 
Plenty  of  portable  snow  fences  should  be  kept  on  hand, 
in  country  subject  to  heavy  snow,  as  trouble  is  con- 
stantly experienced  in  unexpected  places.  Conditions 
are  changed  almost  every  year  by  cutting  off  timber, 
etc. 

The  following  outline  is  not  intended  to  show  the 
exact  order  in  which  winter  work  should  be  done,  but 
rather  to  give  an  outline  of  many  kinds  of  work  which 
may  be  done.  The  order  or  arrangement  of  the  work 
depends  upon  the  weather.  It  may  be  possible  in  a 
late  winter  to  do  a  lot  of  gauging  before  the  first  storm, 
while  in  other  years  the  weather  may  be  so  severe  as 
to  require  the  entire  time  of  the  gang  keeping  tracks 
and  switches  open. 

Winter  work  can  be  outlined  somewhat  as  follows : 
1.     Inspection  should  be  constantly  made  for: 
A — Heaving  track. 

B — Low  bridges  and  culverts  caused  by  embank- 
ments heaving. 

C — Spreading  of  shimmed  track. 
D — Wide  expansion. 
E — Broken  rails. 
F — Broken  angle  bars  or  bolts. 
G — Canted  rails. 
H — Wide  gauge. 

I — Dammed    up    bridges,    culverts,   ditches   and 
other  waterways. 

197 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

J — Snow   trouble  after  a  storm — cuts,   switches 
and  flange  ways. 

2.  Erecting   snow   fences. 

3.  Cleaning    snow    and    ice    from    sidewalks    or 

around  stations,  shops  and  other  buildings. 

4.  Shoveling,    plowing   and    clearing   snow    from 

main   lines. 

5.  Flanging  main  line. 

6.  Keeping  switches  loosened  up  and  working. 

7.  Shimming. 

8.  Cleaning  snow  from  yards. 

9.  Cleaning  out  track  or  surface  ditches  and  open- 

ing outlets. 

10.  Cleaning  out  bridges,  culverts  and  cross  ditches. 

11.  Renewing  and  tightening  bolts  and  nuts,  and 

driving  down  spikes. 

12.  Gauging. 

13.  Distributing  ties. 

14.  Distributing  rails. 

15.  Barking  ties. 

16.  Adzing  rail   seats   on  ties  for  next  year's  re- 

newals. 

17.  Adzing  rail  seats  to  straighten  canted  or  tipped 

rails. 

18.  Distributing  cinders  for  branch  lines. 

19.  Repairing  and  renewing  right  of  way  fences. 

20.  Trimming  hedge. 

21.  Cleaning  up  rubbish  in  yards  and  around  cinder 

or  ash  pits. 

22.  Cleaning   up   ice   around   water   tanks   or  pen 

stocks. 

23.  Cutting  brush  too  large  for  the  scythes. 
(1-A,  B  and  C)  Inspection — The  foreman  must  con- 

198 


WINTER    WORK 


tinually  look  for  heaving  track  and  put  shims  in  im- 
mediately to  prevent  broken  rails  and  derailments. 
The  track  on  bridges  and  culverts  may  be  low  on  ac- 
count of  track  heaving  on  the  embankment  approaches. 
Such  places  should  be  watched  carefully  and  the 
carpenter  gang  notified  whenever  it  is  necessary  to 
shim  up  such  structures.  Where  ballasted-deck  struc- 
tures are  used,  the  track  foreman  will  take  care  of  his 
track  the  same  as  that  on  the  adjacent  fills.  Shimmed 
track  must  be  watched  continually,  as  it  is  likely  to 
heave  further,  or  settle  during  thaws. 

(D,  E  and  F)  Expansion  and  Broken  Rails  or  Fast- 
enings— The  expansion  should  be  watched  as  there  is 
a  likelihood  of  rails  pulling  joints  apart.  The  trouble 
is  most  likely  to  be  encountered  on  bridges  where  the 
track  is  not  anchored.  A  joint  which  has  pulled  apart 
is  dangerous  and  is  likely  to  cause  a  derailment.  Rails 
are  broken  more  frequently  in  cold  than  in  warm 
weather,  because  the  steel  is  more  brittle,  and  because 
on  account  of  heaving,  the  ties  are  likely  not  to  sup- 
port the  whole  rail  uniformly.  Angle  bars  or  bolts 
are  likely  to  be  broken  on  account  of  the  contraction 
of  the  steel  and  the  resulting  strain  on  the  joint. 

(G)  Canted  Rails — Rails  are  likely  to  cant  and  as 
they  tip  the  gauge  widens ;  it  may  widen  enough  to  let 
the  wheels  drop  off  the  rails.  Canted  rails  can  usually 
be  spotted  by  the  marks  which  the  wheels  leave  on 
the  rails.  When  they  are  badly  canted  the  wheels  will 
leave  worn  places  only  on  the  inside  of  the  ball. 

(H)  Wide  Gauge — The  gauge  of  the  track  is  likely  to 
gradually  get  wider  on  account  of  the  rail  wearing  or 
on  account  of  canting.  Whenever  the  gauge  gets  uni- 
formly as  much  as  one-fourth  inch  wide,  over  a  stretch 

199 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

of  track  or  over  the  whole  section,  the  track  should  be 
entirely  regauged.  Places  where  one  joint  or  one  rail 
length  are  only  one-eighth  of  an  inch  wide  will  show 
up  strong  and  such  places  should  be  given  immediate 
attention.  Ice  decreases  the  friction  of  the  rails  on 
the  ties  so  that  gauge  is  more  likely  to  widen  in  the 
winter  than  in  other  seasons.  When  there  is  5  or  6 
inches  of  snow  on  the  ground,  the  track  walker  or 
foreman  can  easily  detect  wide  gauge  by  the  flange 
marks  which  the  wheels  leave  in  the  snow.  When  the 
snow  is  not  yet  on  the  ground  the  inside  spikes  on  the 
high  and  low  rail  of  a  curve  should  be  inspected  fre- 
quently to  see  whether  the  rail  appears  to  be  pulling 
away,  this  being  a  sure  indication  that  the  gauge  is 
getting  wide.  Wide  gauge  due  to  rail  canting  is  not 
so  easily  detected.  It  may  be  indicated  by  the  inside 
spikes  raising  up  from  the  rail.  Testing  with  the 
gauge  is  always  the  surest  method,  especially  when  tie 
plates  are  used. 

(I)  Drainage — Ditches  should  be  cleaned  out  at  the 
beginning  of  every  thaw  in  order  to  prevent  the  water 
from  running  onto  the  track  and  freezing.  Culverts, 
bridges  and  other  waterways  should  be  watched 
closely  to  prevent  ice  lodging  and  damming  up  the 
stream.  Particular  attention  should  be  paid  to  the 
outlets  of  ditches  and  other  waterways,  and  the  water 
turned  away  from  the  track  and  not  against  embank- 
ments. 

(J)  Inspection  After  a  Storm — After  or  during  a 
snow  storm  the  foreman  should  get  out  over  his  track 
and  note  the  condition  in  all  cuts — the  number  that 
are  drifted  full,  the  depth  of  the  snow  and  any  other 
particulars  which  will  help  the  snow  bucking  crew 

200 


WINTER    WORK 


when  it  arrives.  The  switches  at  yards  should  be 
given  constant  attention  so  that  any  trains  which  come 
may  take  siding  without  delay.  The  laborers  should 
be  detailed  to  look  after  certain  switches,  it  being 
customary  in  large  yards  to  assign  each  man  a  certain 
number  of  switches,  the  foreman  covering  the  whole 
territory  to  inspect  the  work  which  is  being  done. 

In  making  his  daily  trips  over  the  section,  the  track 
walker  or  section  foreman  should  carefully  note  any 
places  which  need  flanging.  This  work  should  be 
done  before  the  snow  has  had  time  to  be  packed  down 
and  freeze,  for  if  frozen  it  is  necessary  to  loosen  the 
ice  with  picks,  thus  wasting  time  and  labor. 

2.  Snow  Fences — Where  no  fences  are  provided, 
a  good  protection  can  be  made  with  a  brush  fence. 
The  brush  is  tied  up  in  bundles  and  laid  with  the  tops 
toward  the  wind.    Enough  bundles  should  be  laid,  one 
upon  the  other,  to  form  a  substantial  barrier  which 
will  not  be  blown  away  by  the  wind.    A  very  effective 
wall  may  be  formed  after  the  first  snow  has  fallen  and 
hardened,    by    cutting    square    blocks    of    snow    and 
piling  them  up.    Or,  it  is  possible  to  make  a  temporary 
snow  fence  with  ties  which  have  been  distributed  for 
the  following  year's  renewals.     These  may  be  piled 
up,  breaking  joints,  and  ties  used  as  braces.    The  end 
of  the  snow  fence  should,  in  every  case,  be  turned  in 
toward  the  track,  so  that  a  quartering  storm  will  not 
get  a  sweep  directly  through  the  cut. 

Snow  sheds  should  be  repaired  at  this  time,  and 
loose  boards  replaced  or  nailed  down ;  where  boards 
have  blown  off  and  disappeared,  new  ones  should  be 
placed,  and  the  sheds  made  snow-tight. 

3.  Snow  and  Ice  Around  Buildings — Where  track 

201 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

gangs  are  required  to  clean  the  snow  off  station 
platforms,  this  work  should  be  done  during  a  storm 
as  often  as  necessary,  giving  this  work  preference. 
Around  shops  and  places  where  numbers  of  employes 
must  walk  daily,  every  effort  should  be  made  to  keep 
the  ice  cleaned  up  so  that  no  accidents  will  result. 

3.  Clearing  the  Main  Line — If  a  snow  storm  leaves 
deep   drifts,   trenches  5  to  8   ft.   high  should  be   dug 
every  15  or  20  ft.  before  the  plow  arrives,  unless  a 
rotary  is  being  used.     Trenches  will  often  break  up 
the  resistance  to  the  ordinary  plow  sufficiently  to  let 
it  go  through  a  cut  which  would  otherwise   stall  it. 
Where  the  snow  has  drifted  in  and  is  8  or  10  ft.  high 
on  one  rail,  and  the  other  rail  has  been  swept  off  clean 
by  the  wind,  the  plow  is  likely  to  be  derailed  if  the 
snow  gets  hard.     The  section  forces  should  therefore 
clean  off  the  snow  a  sufficient  distance  to  give  the 
drift  a  square  face  for  the  plow. 

The  foreman  should  figure  on  giving  the  plow  more 
clear  track  on  up-grades  than  on  down-grades  and  he 
should  also  bear  this  in  mind  when  flanging.  Where 
a  heavy  pull  has  to  be  made,  the  track  should  be  kept 
carefully  flanged  out. 

When  a  foreman  has  men  working  in  a  cut,  he 
should  keep  careful  watch  and  when  a  snow  plow  ap- 
pears give  the  men  warning  in  plenty  of  time  so  that 
they  may  get  out  before  the  plow  strikes  the  cut. 
When  storms  break;  down  telegraphic  communication 
it  is  impossible  to  obtain  information  as  to  just  when 
the  plow  train  is  coming,  and  then  the  foreman  must 
be  particularly  careful  to  see  that  his  men  get  out  of 
the  way. 

4.  Preparing  for  Flangers — After  the  first  perma- 

202 


WINTER    WORK 


nent  snow  has  fallen,  the  planks  may  be  taken  out  of 
private  crossings  and  cattle  guards  may  be  taken  up 
so  that  they  will  not  interfere  with  either  the  flanger 
or  the  snow  plow  equipment. 

Flanger  cars  or  flanger  plates  for  locomotives  are 
commonly  used,  so  that  after  the  main  line  is  made 
passable  for  the  snow  plows,  the  track  gangs  are  not 
usually  required  to  do  any  further  flanging,  except 
around  switches  and  crossings.  Even  when  the  snow 
fall  is  too  light  for  heavy  or  rotary  plows,  the  flangers 
are  found  to  be  of  great  assistance. 

Road  crossings  and  guard  rails  must  be  kept  flanged 
out,  to  prevent  the  snow  and  ice  from  packing,  freez- 
ing and  expanding,  and  thus  forcing  guard  rails  or 
planks  out  of  place. 

5.  Switches — Switches  will  cause  trouble  and  the 
foreman  should  keep  them  cleaned  out  as  well  as  pos- 
sible in  order  to  be  prepared  for  snow  storms.  If  the 
snow  holes  get  full  of  water  and  freeze,  the  first  work 
of  the  track  forces  should  be  to  loosen  up  and  clean 
out  the  ice.  After  a  thaw,  when  the  water  is  con- 
stantly collecting  in  these  holes,  laborers  should  be 
detailed  to  work  overtime,  bail  out  the  water,  and 
keep  the  switches  open  for  traffic.  Ditches  should  be 
dug  wherever  possible  to  drain  off  the  water.  The 
use  of  hydro-carbon  or  torches  of  various  kinds  is 
justified  for  melting  the  snow  and  ice  at  switches,  in 
medium  sized  yards  or  terminals.  Interlocking 
switches  should  be  given  especial  attention,  for  the 
leverman  cannot  leave  his  tower  and  clean  out  the 
snow  as  trainmen  can  at  hand  operated  switches.  A 
broom  and  shovel  should  be  left  at  outlying  switches 
for  the  use  of  trainman. 

203 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

There  are  proper  and  improper  ways  of  ditching 
around  switches.  Where  possible,  each  snow  hole 
under  the  switch  rails  should  be  drained  by  a  good 
ditch,  leading  out  over  the  bank  and  the  same  may  be 
said  for  drainage  of  the  snow  holes  under  the  frogs. 

The  ditches  should  be  well  rounded,  or  the  whole 
shoulder  may  be  dug  down  the  required  depth  to  give 
drainage,  thus  making  ditches  unnecessary.  On  in- 
side switches  the  water  should  be  led  to  ditches 
parallel  with  the  ladder  which  should  be  run  back  100 
ft.  or  more.  These  ditches  should  be  well  rounded  so 
that  there  will  be  no  bad  footing  for  trainmen  and 
others.  The  ditches  made  parallel  to  the  track  may 
have  no  outlets  but  they  will  at  least  give  the  water  a 
chance  to  run  away  from  the  frog  and  be  soaked  up 
by  the  ballast. 

6.  Shimming  —  Assorted  shims  of  various  sizes 
should  be  furnished  each  year  and  shipped  out  in  suffi- 
cient quantity  to  all  track  foremen.  Some  trackman 
is  authority  for  the  statement  that  no  shims  of  less 
than  y%  in.  thickness  are  necessary.  A  ^  in.  space 
under  a  rail  on  a  very  cold  day,  however,  is  likely  to 
cause  a  rail  to  break.  Where  shims  are  not  furnished 
thinner  than  y%  in.  therefore,  the  foreman  should  split 
up  pieces  of  wood  and  drive  them  in  under  the  rail  in 
order  to  give  a  solid  bearing.  Shims  should  be  fur- 
nished in  sizes  varying  */£  of  an  inch  in  thickness  and 
should  not  be  sent  out  promiscuously,  but  a  certain 
number  of  each  thickness  should  be  sent  out  to  each 
foreman.  Frequently  a  foreman  will  have  three  or 
four  times  as  many  shims  of  one  thickness  as  he  needs 
and  none  of  other  thicknesses.  When  shimming,  the 
spikes  should  be  raised  on  all  ties  which  are  to  have 

204 


WINTER     WORK 


shims  and  the  rail  seats  adzed  out  wide  enough  for 
the  shims.  The  shims  may  be  driven  in  crossways 
between  the  spikes  and  nailed  with  ordinary  wire 
nails,  or  the  spikes  may  be  withdrawn,  the  tie  plates 
removed,  the  shims  inserted  and  the  spikes  redriven 
through  the  holes  in  the  shims.  The  track  should  first 
be  raised  to  the  proper  surface  and  one  shim  placed  to 
hold  it.  In  putting  in  the  rest  of  the  shims,  none 
should  be  used  which  are  too  thick,  as  it  will  raise  the 
track  out  of  true  surface. 

Tie  plates  need  not  be  removed  for  thin  shims,  the 
shims  being  placed  between  tie  plate  and  rail.  For 
shims  an  inch  or  more  thick,  shoulder  tie  plates  must 
be  removed.  Where  track  has  to  be  shimmed  more 
than  24  in.,  it  should  be  side-braced,  using  tie  plates, 
short  pieces  of  angle  bars  or  wooden  shims  of  the 
thicker  size,  which  may  be  set  against  the  web  and  up 
under  the  ball  of  the  rail,  with  outer  ends  on  ties  and 
spikes  driven  in  the  holes.  When  it  is  necessary  to 
shim  over  lJ/£  in.,  short  pieces  of  planks  should  be 
used  with  frost  spikes,  and  the  planks  should  be  nailed 
to  the  ties  with  boat  spikes.  In  some  places  it  may  be 
necessary  to  use  a  plank  to  go  clear  across  under  both 
rails,  bored  for  track  spikes,  with  ordinary  track  shims 
on  one  side  or  the  other  to  level  up.  Tie  rods,  3  or  4 
to  a  rail,  depending  on  height  of  shims,  are  often  used 
instead  of  long  planks. 

7.  Yards — The  snow  should  be  kept  cleaned  out  to 
prevent  the  possibility  of  an  additional  snow  fall  tying 
up  a  yard.  The  snow  between  tracks  should  be  removed 
after  each  heavy  snow  fall.  This  may  be  done  either 
by  a  spreader  working  from  one  track  to  the  other  and 
gradually  shoving  the  snow  clear  across  the  yard,  or 

205 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

the  snow  may  be  loaded  on  cars.  For  removing  snow 
from  platforms,  or  from  ladder  tracks,  boxes  may  be 
used,  made  of  inch  lumber  with  handles  similar  to  the 
handles  on  a  tool  box.  A  large  load  of  snow  can  be 
placed  in  one  of  these  boxes  and  carried  away  by  two 
men. 

8  and  9.     Ditching — A  most   important  feature  of 
track  work  in  winter,  is  ditching.    The  ditches  through 


Fig.   16 — Snow  Box. 

all  cuts  should  be  kept  as  clean  as  possible.  At  the 
beginning  of  a  thaw  they  should  be  cleaned  out  so  that 
the  water  can  run  off  as  fast  as  it  collects.  Every 
facility  should  be  provided  in  yards  to  prevent  the 
accumulation  of  water. 

Outlets  under  the  track,  through  the  roadbed,  should 
be  kept  clear  constantly  to  prevent  water  damming  up 
and  raising  so  that  it  will  be  dangerous  to  embank- 
ments. 

10.  Renewing  Bolts  and  Spikes — When  the  track 
is  fairly  clear  of  snow  and  ice  and  there  is  a  spell  of 
good  weather,  bad  spikes  or  bolts  may  be  renewed. 
Bolts  are  likely  to  be  sheared  off  by  rail  creeping,  or 

206 


WINTER    WORK 


by  contraction,  and  thus  allow  the  rails  to  pull  apart 
far  enough  to  cause  a  derailment.  The  gang  should 
also  be  sent  over  the  section  to  tap  down  high  spikes. 
The  nuts  on  switch  rods,  switch  stands,  etc.,  should  be 
carefully  inspected  and  cotter  pins  placed  wherever 
necessary.  Braces  and  clips  on  spring  rail  frogs  must 
be  watched  closely  as  the  spring  rail  is  likely  to  get 
high ;  if  this  happens  wheel  is  likely  to  turn  the  wing 
over  and  cause  a  derailment. 

11.  Gauging — As  it  is  almost  impossible  for  the  track 
gang  to  gauge  all  of  the  section  in  summer,  a  good 
deal  of  gauging  is  now  being  done  in  winter.  When 
the  weather  is  favorable  the  foreman  can  start  at  one 
end  of  his  section  and  by  doing  a  little  each  day  or 
each  week  he  can  gradually  get  his  section  in  excel- 
lent shape  for  the  coming  summer. 

12  and  13.  Distributing  Ties  and  Rails— The  dis- 
tribution of  ties  is  discussed  under  the  chapter  on  "renew- 
ing ties"  and  the  distribution  of  rails  in  the  chapter  on 
''relaying  rail."  Distribution  of  these  materials  should 
be  made  without  fail  in  the  winter  so  that  it  will  not 
interfere  with  the  important  work  of  the  spring. 

14  and  15.  Barking  Ties  and  Adzing  Rail  Seats— If 
ties  are  received  with  the  bark  on,  the  track  forces 
should  figure  on  getting  them  barked  during  the 
winter  in  order  that  they  may  season  better  and  also 
that  the  work  will  not  have  to  be  done  at  the  time  re- 
newals are  made.  Rail  seats  on  renewal  ties  should  be 
adzed,  as  it  is  much  cheaper  and  easier  to  do  this  work 
when  the  tie  is  out  of  the  track.  The  Ware  tie  plate 
surfacer,  or  a  home-made  template  may  be  used  to  ob- 
tain a  correct  rail  seat. 

16.     Straightening  Canted  Rails — Where  inspection 

207 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

shows  that  rails  are  tipping  out,  the  snow  and  ice 
should  be  cleared  away  and  the  insides  of  the  ties 
adzed  down  at  least  far  enough  to  bring  the  rail  up 
straight.  The  spikes  may  then  be  pulled  and  the 
adzing  carried  under  the  rail.  This  work  should  be 
looked  after  carefully  in  the  winter  to  prevent  the 
gauge  getting  wide  or  the  rails  tipping  dangerously. 

17.  Cinders — Cinders   for   branch   lines   should   be 
taken  out  in  train  loads,  section  gangs  being  doubled 
up  if  necessary  to  unload  them  in  places  where  they 
will  be  needed  the  following  spring  and  summer.   Hav- 
ing these  cinders  where  soft  track  is  likely  to  develop 
after  the  frost  goes  out,  is  a  great  convenience. 

18.  Repairing  and  Renewing  Right  of  Way  Fences 

— Some  work  on  right  of  way  fences  can  be  done  in 
the  winter,  although  it  is  not  usually  possible  to  dig 
fence  post  holes  and  set  new  posts.  Wires  may  be 
spliced  and  tightened,  gates  repaired  and  other  work 
done  on  the  fences  as  long  as  the  snow  does  not  be- 
come too  deep. 

19  and  20.  Trimming  Hedge  and  Cleaning  up  Rub- 
bish— Hedge  may  be  trimmed  when  other  work  slack- 
ens up.  Rubbish  and  ashes  should  be  cleaned  up 
around  cinder  pits  immediately  after  they  are  deposited 
and  before  they  freeze  up  if  possible.  Excellent  prog- 
ress can  be  made  cleaning  right  of  way  when  there 
is  not  too  much  snow. 

21.  Ice  Around  Water  Tanks — Ice  should  not  be 
allowed  to  accumulate  around  water  tanks  or  pen 
stocks,  as  it  may  cause  derailments;  and  there  is 
always  the  danger  that  someone  will  slip  and  be  in- 
jured by  a  fall,  or  struck  by  a  train.  The  same  might 

208 


WINTER    WORK 


be  said  for  ice  around  stations,  shops  and  other  build- 
ings. 

Bucking  Snow — Bucking  snow  is  a  broad  enough 
subject  for  a  book  in  itself.  Conditions  are  met  with 
which  are  so  varying  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
give  anything  but  general  rules  in  this  chapter.  Some 
mention  has  been  made  of  methods  which  the  foremen 
may  follow  to  facilitate  the  work  of  the  plows. 

In  handling  the  plows  it  is  usually  best  to  operate 
them  with  not  more  than  two  engines,  with  a  follow- 
ing engine  as  a  reserve.  Then  in  case  the  two  engines 
get  stuck  the  following  engine  can  pull  them  out, 
after  which  they  can  back  up  and  get  a  fresh  start. 

In  a  heavy  snow  the  plow  should  be  operated  at  a 
speed  sufficient  to  get  through  the  drift.  In  a  light 
snow  the  plow  should  not  be  run  fast  because  the 
snow  will  simply  be  thrown  up,  whirl  around  and 
settle  again  in  the  rear  of  the  train.  The  best  power 
available  should  be  used,  a  speed  of  40  miles  per  hour 
being  necessary  sometimes,  in  a  deep  snow,  to  give 
satisfactory  results. 

The  main  thing  in  being  prepared  for  a  snow  storm 
is  to  have  all  equipment  in  working  order  and  so 
placed  that  it  may  be  started  in  motion  instantly. 
Camp,  dining  and  sleeping  cars  should  be  fully  stocked 
up  awaiting  transportation  to  the  scene  of  trouble,  so 
that  after  work  is  once  started  the  gangs  will  not 
have  to  waste  valuable  hours  in  going  to  and  coming 
from  work.  The  foreman  should  carefully  check  up 
his  equipment  of  snow  fighting  tools  and  be  sure  that 
everything  necessary  is  on  hand.  Usually  the  road- 
master  should  stay  in  his  office  and  direct  the  work 
over  the  entire  division  rather  than  get  out  onto  the 

209 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

track  and  look  after  one  particular  location,  in  which 
case  the  work  on  the  other  parts  of  the  division  is 
likely  to  lag.  But  in  case  there  is  only  one  place 
where  serious  trouble  has  developed,  the  roadmaster 
may  safely  go  to  that  spot  and  stay  there  as  long  as 
necessary. 

A  trackman  with  experience  in  snow  bucking  and 
one  who  is  familiar  with  the  track  on  the  division 
should  be  placed  in  charge  of  the  snow  plow  equip- 
ment. The  best  engines  and  engineers  in  the  service 
should  be  assigned  to  the  work  and  should  report  and 
take  orders  from  the  foreman  or  roadmaster  in  charge. 
Fuel  and  water  should  be  taken  at  every  opportunity 
and  a  car  load  of  coal  carried  by  the  helper  engine.  A 
steam  hose  should  be  provided  if  there  is  no  permanent 
tank  heater  with  each  engine,  so  that  live  steam  can  be 
conducted  into  the  engine  tank  to  melt  snow,  should 
the  water  become  low.  Every  drift  which  looks  bad 
should  be  examined  before  making  a  run  for  it.  Safety 
should  always  be  considered  even  though  it  decreases 
progress.  Usually  the  plow  should  start  out  before 
the  storm  gets  too  much  of  a  start. 

Ordinary  heavy  snow  plows  of  substantial  design 
will  throw  the  snow  out  of  an  8  or  10-ft.  cut;  for 
deeper  cuts  a  Rotary  must  be  used.  Where  the  snow 
is  too  deep  for  the  plow,  the  tops  of  the  drifts  should 
be  shoveled  off  by  the  track  gangs.  Where  the  drift  is 
deep  and  the  snow  hard,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  slope  the 
snow  off  gradually  so  that  the  shock  of  the  plow 
hitting  the  drift  will  be  lessened. 

The  engineman,  if  experienced,  will  handle  the  plow 
so  that  the  least  amount  of  shoveling  will  be  necessary 
behind  it.  A  flanger  should  be  run  in  the  plow  train 

210 


WINTER    WORK 


or  by  the  helper  engine,  and  the  track  flanged  before 
the  snow  has  a  chance  to  get  hard  and  freeze.  The 
engineman  should  sound  the  whistle  often  when  ap- 
proaching a  drift  where  section  men  are  likely  to  be 
working,  while  the  section  gang  should  always  place 
a  watchman  to  warn  them  of  the  approach  of  the  plow 
train. 

Conclusions — While  the  foreman  should  busy  him- 
self mainly  with  work  which  will  keep  traffic  moving, 
he  will  frequently  find  time  to  do  many  other  odd  jobs 
in  the  winter,  which  will  help  to  further  his  work  in 
the  spring.  He  should  remember  that  it  is  much 
better  to  push  his  work  than  to  have  his  work  push 
him,  and  for  this  reason  should  do  every  possible  job 
in  the  winter  which  will  lighten  his  work  in  the  fol- 
lowing seasons. 

Track  foremen  should  keep  roadmasters  and  super- 
intendents advised  of  snow  drifts,  giving  depth, 
length,  height,  and  location.  They  should  also  advise 
where  it  is  necessary  to  run  the  dozer,  which  is  a  most 
valuable  snow  operating  machine.  Great  stress  should 
be  laid  on  keeping  this  machine  ready  for  operation 
at  all  times. 


211 


CHAPTER  XII. 
TRACK  WORK  IN  THE  TROPICS.* 

In  semi-tropical  states  there  are  no  distinct  seasons 
of  spring,  summer,  fall  and  winter,  and  except  in  the  high 
altitudes  there  is  no  trouble  from  frost  or  snow.  Frost 
never  penetrates  more  than  \l/2  in.  into  the  earth,  and 
little  preparation  for  frost  and  snow  is  necessary. 

Surfacing,  tie-renewals  and  rail-renewals  can  be  carried 
on  throughout  the  entire  year,  with  the  exception  of  the 
days  when  storms  are  raging.  The  storms  are  not  the 
gentle  rains  of  the  eastern  and  northern  states.  They  are 
accompanied  by  high  winds  which  are  very  disastrous 
to  track  and  roadbed.  In  the  canyons,  trees  are  uprooted 
and  hurled  upon  the  tracks.  In  the  valleys,  when  the 
rivers  and  streams  are  out  of  their  banks  and  the  low- 
lands are  overflowed,  the  waves  beat  against  the  track 
embankments  and  cause  serious  damage.  I  have  been  on 
work-trains  watching  for  breaks  in  the  roadbed,  when  the 
waves  would  roll  high  enough  to  wet  the  men  on  the 
cars,  which  were  loaded  with  large  granite  rocks  and 
sacked  sand. 

Water  causes  the  most  serious  problems  in  such  a 
climate,  although  clearing  grass  and  weeds  takes  up 
a  very  large  proportion  of  the  time  of  section  forces. 

January  Work — In  January  the  main  work  is  to  patrol 
during  storms.  In  the  canyons  every  foot  of  track  must 
be  patroled.  Each  foreman  is  required  to  use  rigid  dis- 
cipline in  handling  his  patrolmen,  not  excusing  the  least 


*I    am   indebted,   for   this    Chapter,   to    S.   J.    Evans,    foreman, 
Southern  Pacific  Co.  (Central  California  Traction  Co.) 

212 


TRACK    WORK     IN     THE     TROPICS 

infraction  of  rule  or  instruction  given  them.  No  men 
are  kept  who  do  not  supply  themselves  with  rain  coats 
and  rubber  boots. 

At  places  where  slides  are  likely  to  occur,  stationary 
watchmen  are  placed.  Patrolmen  are  given  beats  of 
from  one  to  two  miles  and  before  each  train  is  due  each 
one  must  cover  his  territory  from  end  to  end.  All  track 
must  be  patrolled  the  half  hour  preceding  the  time  of  the 
train. 

For  seven  years  I  was  stationed  on  the  most  dangerous 
sections  of  the  road  and  in  addition  to  the  foot  patrol- 
men I  placed  a  man  on  a  velocipede  car.  His  duty  was 
to  run  over  the  entire  section  ahead  of  trains.  I  made 
it  a  point  to  see  all  men  during  the  night,  sometimes 
on  a  train  and  sometimes  on  foot,  having  no  specified 
time.  I  figured  on  keeping  them  guessing  as  to  when 
I  would  be  along. 

When  there  is  fair  weather,  during  a  portion  of  this 
month,  the  time  is  taken  up  by  clearing  small  slides 
which  obstruct  side  ditches,  and  repairing  surface  ditches 
on  the  tops  of  cuts.  A  few  men  are  employed  in  repair- 
ing switches  and  re-gaging  curves.  It  is  the  custom  also 
to  renew  and  tighten  bolts,  also  to  pull  and  re-drive  high 
spikes. 

February  Work — In  the  first  days  of  February  the 
routine  is  nearly  the  same  as  in  January.  About  the 
middle  of  the  month  surfacing  is  begun,  preparatory  to 
renewing  ties.  One  day  each  week,  preferably  Saturday, 
is  spent  in  repairing  switches,  signs  and  road  crossings. 
Station  grounds  are  given  a  thorough  cleaning. 

March  Work — About  March  first,  all  section  gangs 
are  put  at  work  renewing  ties.  The  ties  are  distributed 
principally  with  push  cars.  The  ties  are  received  during 

213 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

the  preceding  year  and  piled  for  seasoning  at  points  as 
near  as  possible  to  where  they  are  to  be  used. 

In  distributing,  the  foreman  marks  with  crayon  the 
tie  to  be  removed.  Most  foremen  mark  their  ties  X 
to  renew,  and  O  to  inspect  when  in  doubt  as  to  whether 
the  tie  is  fit  for  another  year's  service  or  not.  The  O 
ties  are  exposed  to  view,  but  are  not  taken  out  by  the 
laborers  until  the  foreman  decides  that  they  will  not 
render  another  year's  service.  This  method  leaves  few 
good  second-hand  ties ;  rarely  any  that  are  fit  for  side- 
track use. 

Where  curves  are  numerous,  it  is  the  custom  (if  ties 
are  bad  and  the  track  persists  in  spreading)  to  first  insert 
two  or  three  ties  to  the  rail.  The  ballast  is  dug  out  from 
between  two  ties  and  the  new  tie  is  inserted  between 
them,  the  old  ties  remaining  in  track  until  the  general 
renewal,  which  takes  place  after  the  curves  are  placed 
in  perfectly  safe  condition.  This  is  called  "tie  skirmish- 
ing." 

April  and  May  Work — Tie  renewals  ofttimes  extend 
into  the  middle  of  April.  Then  is  begun  the  first  clearing 
of  grass  and  weeds  from  the  track.  This  work  is  pushed 
diligently  until  the  last  of  May,  when  the  grass,  usually 
wild  oats,  begins  to  dry.  Fire-guards  are  then  cut  for 
the  fences  and  around  bridges  and  buildings  on  the  right- 
of-way.  Where  the  right-of-way  is  rented  for  haying 
purposes,  the  lease  requires  the  renters  to  plow  three 
furrows  as  close  to  the  right-of-way  as  possible. 

June  Work — As  soon  as  grass  and  weeds  are  dry  enough 
they  are  burned.  Fires  must  be  kept  strictly  under  con- 
trol to  prevent  spreading  to  adjacent  property.  Fires 
spread  more  easily  than  in  wetter  climates.  Many  fires 
are  started  by  engines  and,  when  high  winds  prevail, 

214 


TRACK    WORK    IN     THE    TROPICS 

quite  a  number  start  from  passengers  throwing  cigar 
and  cigarette  stubs  out  of  car  windows. 

July  and  August  Work — Every  foreman  is  ambitious 
to  have  his  right-of-way  burned  over  by  July  4th,  as  on 
that  date  many  grass  fires  are  started  by  the  careless 
handling  of  fireworks.  From  the  first  of  July  until  the 
middle  of  August  general  surfacing  is  given  the  prefer- 
ence over  all  other  work.  From  the  middle  of  August 
until  the  annual  inspection,  which  usually  comes  in  the 
first  part  of  September,  the  time  is  occupied  in  trimming 
up  ballast  and  a  general  cleaning  up  of  stations  and  sta- 
tion grounds. 

September,  October  and  November  Work — After  the 
inspection;  all  water  courses  are  examined  and  weak 
places  in  the  ditches  are  strengthened.  In  the  canyons 
the  side  slopes  are  inspected  and  the  loose  rocks  are  re- 
moved from  places  that  are  likely  to  slide  during  the  fol- 
lowing storm  period.  The  summer  suns  have  a  penchant 
for  cracking  and  loosening  the  rocks  of  this  section  of 
the  Pacific  slope ;  rocks  that  look  firm  and  well  set  early 
in  the  year,  will  be  found  to  be  cracked  and  ready  to 
slide  during  the  months  of  October  and  November.  All 
of  this  rock  is  worked  down  and  piled  to  the  sides  of 
the  track  ready  for  loading  upon  a  work  train  and  is  used 
in  strengthening  weak  places. 

December  Work — December  is  usually  given  over  to 
repairing  fences,  cattle  guards  and  road  crossings,  also 
cleaning  culverts  preparatory  to  the  storm  period.  Extra 
gangs  are  employed  the  year  round,  in  ballasting,  re- 
laying rail  and  the  laying  of  industrial  tracks. 


215 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
YARD    MAINTENANCE. 

Standard  of  Maintenance — Yard  maintenance  differs 
materially  from  section  maintenance  in  many  features. 
The  yard  foreman  should  first  of  all  bear  in  mind  that 
yard  tracks  do  not  have  to  be  kept  in  as  good  shape  as 
main  line  track ;  and  to  insist  on  such  a  high  standard  is 
a  waste  of  money.  While  the  track  should  be  kept  abso- 
lutely safe,  it  is  not  economical  to  keep  the  track  in  con- 
dition for  50-mile-an-hour  traffic  where  15  miles  an  hour 
is  the  highest  speed. 

While  a  high  standard  of  maintenance,  such  as  is  neces- 
sary on  main  lines,  is  not  necesary  in  a  yard,  still  the 
materials — rails,  ties  and  rail  fastenings — will  last  much 
longer  if  the  tracks  are  kept  in  reasonable  line  and  surface. 
The  extra  labor  necessary  to  do  this  is  highly  justified  by 
the  increase  in  the  life  of  materials  alone,  and  there  is  a 
still  further  saving  through  the  elimination  or  reduction 
in  the  number  of  derailments.  The  materials  in  tracks 
which  are  badly  out  of  line  and  surface  are  destroyed 
much  more  quickly  than  most  track  men  realize. 

Yard  tracks  should  be  laid  out  on  tangent  if  at  all 
possible,  and  this  is  particularly  true  because,  on  ac- 
count of  financial  or  business  conditions,  the  maintenance 
is  likely  to  be  slighted  for  long  periods.  Curves  increase 
the  cost  of  maintenance  excessively  and  also  increase  the 
likelihood  of  derailments. 

Dividing  the  Gang — In  yard  work,  the  gang  should  be 
divided,  and  small  jobs,  such  as  adjusting  switches, 
repairing  switches  when  run  through,  replacing  bolts  or 

216 


YARD     MAINTENANCE 


angle  bars,  and  adjusting  and  renewing  foot  guards, 
should  be  done  by  a  handy  man,  or  by  an  assistant  fore- 
man. This  leaves  the  foreman  free  to  look  after  the 
heavier  work  of  replacing  ties,  surfacing,  and  general 
cleaning,  in  which  the  larger  part  of  the  gang  will  be 
engaged. 

In  any  large  yard,  a  night  force  of  one  or  two  men 
should  be  allowed,  so  that  necessary  emergency  repairs 
may  be  made  quickly,  and  without  the  necessity  for  call- 
ing the  foreman. 

Ladder  Tracks — The  ladder  is  the  most  important  part 
of  the  yard.  If  it  is  out  of  order,  practically  the  whole 
yard  is  out  of  service.  The  importance  of  keeping  the 
ladders  always  in  the  best  working  condition  is  therefore 
apparent.  The  maintenance  cost  on  a  ladder  track  is 
high  where  there  is  heavy  traffic,  even  if  the  ladder  is  well 
ballasted.  If  the  ladder  is  poorly  ballasted,  much  more 
work  is  necessary  to  keep  the  ladder  track  in  service. 

Poor  surface  on  ladders  is  much  more  likely  to  cause 
derailments  than  poor  surface  in  yard  tracks.  The  curved 
leads  are  usually  quite  sharp,  much  sharper  than  is  ordi- 
narily used  in  main  line  switches.  Furthermore,  it  is  not 
possible,  or  at  least  not  usual  practice,  to  attempt  to  ele- 
vate the  outer  rail  of  the  lead.  For  these  reasons  derail- 
ments are  much  more  likely  to  occur  from  imperfections 
in  the  surface  of  ladder  tracks  than  they  are  on  tangents, 
or  on  curves  which  can  be  elevated. 

In  fact,  there  is  every  reason  for  ballasting  a  lead  and 
keeping  it  in  the  best  possible  surface,  even  where  the 
yard  tracks  cannot  be  kept  up  in  good  condition. 

Overhauling  a  Yard — Some  officials,  in  arranging  to 
have  a  yard  overhauled,  order  the  foreman  to  start  at 
one  side  and  raise  each  track  in  turn  out  of  a  face.  This 

217 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

is  not  the  best  policy,  because  frequently  the  foreman  is 
unable  to  get  over  the  entire  yard,  and  thus  he  may  raise 
and  make  renewals  on  some  tracks,  while  others  further 
along  are  in  worse  need  of  repairs.  The  foreman  should 
be  allowed  to  exercise  his  discretion  and  work  over  the 
worst  tracks  first ;  after  this  is  done  he  should  then  start 
at  one  side  of  the  yard  and  raise  the  remaining  tracks 
out  of  a  face  as  far  as  time  allows. 

The  following  discussion  indicates,  in  a  general  way, 
the  order  of  the  work  on  a  section  during  the  four  sea- 
sons. It  is  advisable  in  yard  work  as  in  section  work  to 
start  renewals  as  early  in  the  spring  as  possible  after  the 
frost  has  gone  out.  When  the  weather  is  mild,  it  is 
profitable  to  do  relaying  in  the  winter  and  thus  decrease 
the  spring  and  summer  work. 

Spring  Work — The  principal  work  in  spring  is  to  keep 
switches  free  from  water  and  ice  so  that  switching  traffic 
will  not  be  delayed.  Constant  attention  to  drainage  is 
necessary.  Wherever  possible,  open  ditches  should  be 
dug  to  drain  the  water  away  from  snow  holes  around 
switches  and  frogs.  These  ditches,  if  deep,  should  be  cov- 
ered with  boards,  car  doors,  or  other  lumber  which  is 
handy,  so  that  the  footing  will  not  be  dangerous  for 
switchmen  and  others,  and  also  to  keep  them  free  from 
rubbish.  Where  there  is  no  outlet  for  ditches,  the  snow 
holes  should  be  bailed  out  every  night  and  the  ice  should 
be  thrown  over  the  bank  or  scattered  back  of  the  frog 
so  that  water  will  not  run  back  into  the  snow  holes  after 
the  ice  melts.  On  inside  tracks  it  is  often  necessary  to 
load  the  ice  into  any  empty  cars  which  happen  to  be 
handy. 

Every  large  yard  should  have  a  sewerage  system,  with 
manholes  located  at  each  switch.  The  catch  basins 

218 


YARD     MAINTENANCE 


should  be  inspected  and  cleaned  out  often  in  the  spring 
so  that  they  will  not  freeze  or  get  clogged  up.  A  plenti- 
ful supply  of  salt  should  be  kept  on  hand  and  scattered 
around  switches  and  frogs,  when  necessary,  to  melt  the 
ice  off  the  ties. 

As  heaved  tracks  settle,  uneven  places  may  develop  in 
the  ladder  tracks,  causing  switches  to  bind.  The  frost 
going  out  under  the  yard  tracks  is  likely  to  develop  un- 
even track  and  cause  rail  breakages.  Such  places  may 
require  additional  temporary  shimming.  Where  wet 
spots  develop,  the  holes  should  be  shimmed  up,  if  pos- 
sible, until  the  ballast  dries  out. 

Where  there  is  no  support  for  the  ties  in  mud  holes 
or  at  churning  joints,  the  old  mud  should  be  shoveled 
out  at  least  to  the  bottom  of  the  ties  and  cinders  used  to 
raise  the  track  on.  Frequently  the  mud  will  ooze  up 
between  the  ties  as  high  as  the  rail.  Cinders  are  very 
effective  in  drying  up  wet  places.  Dry  gravel  can  be 
used  if  cinders  are  not  available. 

The  leads  in  the  ladder  tracks  are  likely  to  cause 
trouble  at  this  time  of  the  year.  The  ties  will  be  slippery 
from  water  or  ice  and  the  gage  is  likely  to  get  wide.  This 
is  also  true  of  curves  in  yard  tracks.  The  gage  is  also 
likely  to  loosen  at  the  switch  points  and  cause  a  derail- 
ment. The  ties,  besides  being  slippery  are  wet  and  softer 
and  therefore  present  less  resistance  against  gage  widen- 
ing. 

Scrap  which  has  accumulated  during  the  winter  should 
be  gathered  up  and  piled  at  convenient  points  for  loading 
into  cars.  Usually  the  roadmaster  will  give  orders  to 
have  all  scrap  picked  up  by  a  certain  date.  Track  scrap 
consisting  of  spikes,  bolts,  nut  locks,  as  well  as  car  scrap 

219 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

of  all  kinds,  should  be  picked  up  and  carried  to  the  scrap 
bin. 

In  most  yards  where  there  is  any  considerable  amount 
of  business,  it  is  necessary  to  divide  the  yard  up  into  dis- 
tricts and  assign  men  regularly  to  the  work  of  keeping 
these  districts  clean.  This  makes  each  man  responsible 
for  the  yard  under  his  jurisdiction  and  makes  it  easy  for 
the  foreman  to  check  up  and  see  that  each  man  is  doing 
his  work.  If  the  cleaning  is  done  by  the  whole  gang  it 
will  not  be  done  as  well  nor  as  often  as  desirable. 

Dirt,  ashes,  cinders  and  all  other  accumulations  should 
be  removed  and  the  yard  kept  perfectly  clean.  Any  lax- 
ness  on  the  part  of  the  foreman  will  soon  result  in  the 
cleaners  neglecting  or  only  half  doing  their  work. 

Track  barrows  are  very  handy  for  use  in  this  connec- 
tion, where  there  is  a  track  which  is  free  of  cars  and 
which  can  be  used  regularly.  In  many  yards,  however, 
a  track  barrow  cannot  be  used  and  the  ordinary  wheel- 
barrow is  about  the  only  thing  which  can  be  handled. 

Hand  boxes  for  carrying  snow  and  ice,  described  in 
the  chapter  on  Winter  Work,  are  also  useful  for  carrying 
out  rubbish  along  ladder  tracks. 

Spikes  and  bolts  which  have  loosened  during  the  win- 
ter should  be  tightened  and  another  inspection  given  to 
the  entire  yard,  special  attention  being  given  to  low 
places  in  ladder  tracks.  Shims  may  now  be  removed 
from  churning  joints  or  mud  holes  and  these  raised  and 
good  ballast  put  under.  After  the  frost  is  out,  the  sur- 
face ditches  should  be  filled. 

Tie  Renewals — Where  yard  tracks  are  to  be  surfaced, 
tie  renewals  in  those  tracks  should  be  made  when  they 
are  raised,  as  renewals  may  be  made  much  more  easily 
and  cheaply  in  that  way.  On  storage  tracks  for  cars  only, 

220 


YARD    MAINTENANCE 


ties  are  sometimes  kept  in  until  there  is  almost  nothing 
left  of  them.  At  such  places  the  best  method  is  to  raise 
the  track  with  jacks,  knock  the  ties  off  with  spike  mauls, 
clean  out  and  dig  down,  and  then  place  the  new  ties  under 
the  rails.  The  track  may  then  require  some  surfacing, 
but  by  this  method  the  foreman  can  accomplish  a  great 
deal  of  work  and  leave  a  better  track  than  if  he  makes 
the  renewals  in  the  ordinary  way. 

For  yard  tracks  the  exact  number  of  ties  for  a  day's 
work  must  be  distributed  each  morning.  At  night  all  old 
ties  must  be  picked  up  and  carried  out,  so  that  there  will 
be  no  danger  of  trainmen  stumbling  over  them  and  be- 
ing hurt. 

If  the  number  of  ties  to  be  renewed  per  rail  length  is 
large  (it  usually  is)  the  best  way  to  make  renewals  in 
yard  tracks  is  to  obtain  permission  to  block  the  track. 
The  spikes  should  then  be  pulled  from  the  few  sound 
ties  and  the  track  jacked  up  with  the  unsound  ties  hang- 
ing ;  the  latter  can  be  easily  knocked  off  with  spike  mauls, 
after  which  they  may  be  pulled  out,  the  beds  dug  down 
and  the  new  ties  placed.  The  new  ties  are  dug  in  low 
enough  so  that  the  rails,  when  dropped,  again  rest  on 
the  old  ties,  the  original  surface  thus  being  maintained. 
The  new  ties  are  then  nipped  up,  spiked  and  tamped. 
Some  new  ties  will  be  low  enough  on  the  old  beds  with- 
out digging  down,  but  this  is  not  often  the  case,  the  old 
ties  usually  being  much  thinner  on  account  of  rail  cutting. 

When  it  is  inexpedient  to  block  a  track,  the  old  method 
of  digging-in  one  or  two  ties  at  a  time  is  used ;  or  a  few 
spikes  may  be  pulled  on  adjoining  ties,  the  track  sprung 
up,  the  old  ties  pulled  out,  the  beds  dug  down  and  the 
new  ties  placed,  thus  requiring  little  side  digging.  Re- 
newals should  be  made  on  a  running  (run  around)  track 

221 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

first.  Then  permission  should  be  obtained  to  make  the 
running  track  a  storage  track  for  the  time  being  and  to 
use  an  adjacent  yard  track  for  the  run  around  track. 
Thus,  by  using  storage  tracks  in  rotation  for  run  around 
tracks,  all  renewals  may  be  made  on  an  open  track  under 
traffic.  Track  ties  in  the  ladder  track  may  then  be  re- 
moved under  traffic  as  in  main  line  renewals. 

Ladder  tracks  can  seldom  be  abandoned  and  the  old 
method  of  digging  out  and  putting  in  one  or  two  ties 
at  a  time  may  be  the  best  one  to  use,  especially  if  the 
ladder  is  in  constant  use.  Renewals  under  heavy  traffic 
can  be  made  in  sets  more  easily  than  singly,  but  service- 
able ties  should  not  be  removed.  If  all  the  ties  are  nearly 
gone,  however,  it  is  uneconomical  to  leave  a  half  dozen 
for  renewal  the  following  year. 

In  renewing  a  whole  set,  the  switch  is  stripped  out 
after  having  distributed  the  new  set  ready  to  be  placed 
in  the  track.  The  ties  should  be  numbered  from  one  end 
of  the  switch  to  the  other,  according  to  their  lengths  in 
feet  and  inches.  The  space  marks  on  the  rails  should  have 
corresponding  numbers,  thus  assuring  that  each  tie  will 
be  put  in  where  it  belongs.  The  ballast  should  be  stripped 
out  to  the  bottom  of  the  ties  and  six  inches  beyond  the 
ends,  and  the  spikes  ahead  of  the  switch  point  and  back 
of  the  frog  should  be  raised  so  that  the  rails  may  be 
jacked  up  without  lifting  the  track  ties  off  their  beds. 
The  spikes  may  then  be  pulled  on  3  or  4  ties,  the  track 
jacked  up,  the  old  ties  pulled  out,  the  new  ties  put  in, 
the  jacks  dropped,  and  the  track  spiked  safe  for  traffic. 
Or  the  new  ties  may  be  pulled  in  between  the  old  ones 
and  spiked  before  the  old  ones  are  withdrawn.  This 
method  makes  it  possible  to  utilize  a  period  of  only  three 
or  four  minutes  between  switching  movements. 

222 


YARD     MAINTENANCE 


Summer  Work— During  periods  of  slack  business  lad- 
der tracks  should  be  surfaced  in  preference  to  everything 
else.  More  can  be  accomplished  with  less  delay  and 
the  inside  tracks  can  be  raised  when  business  is  heavier. 
Inx  surfacing  yard  tracks  a  method  may  be  used  similar 
to  that  described  for  renewing  ties — surface  the' running 
track  first,  then  use  the  running  track  for  a  storage  track ; 
use  one  of  the  yard  tracks  for  a  running  track  and  sur- 
face it.  If  it  is  possible  to  get  a  track  abandoned  it 
is  advisable  to  make  tie  renewals  at  the  same  time  the 
surfacing  is  done,  as  this  cheapens  the  work  consider- 
ably. 

In  surfacing,  as  in  other  yard  work,  the  foreman  should 
always  remember  that  he  is  not  working  on  main  line 
and  that  the  tracks  are  not  required  to  be  maintained 
in  high  class  shape.  He  should  therefore  attempt  to  do 
the  work  with  all  possible  speed — making  track  service- 
able rather  than  splitting  hairs  on  lining  and  dressing  up. 
Tracks  with  mud  holes  in  them  should  be  surfaced  first. 
Where  a  track  is  to  be  relaid,  tie  renewals  should  be 
left,  if  possible,  until  the  time  of  relaying.  This  will 
prevent  respiking  new  ties.  If  renewals  must  be  made 
before  relaying,  the  new  ties  should  be  tamped  up  to 
the  rail  but  just  as  few  of  them  spiked  as  are  absolutely 
required  to  hold  the  track  to  gage ;  the  remaining  ties  to 
be  left  unspiked  until  the  new  rail  is  laid.  This  not 
only  saves  the  ties  but  decreases  labor. 

The  new  rail  should  be  laid  on  the  old  ties,  using  one 
of  the  ordinary  methods.  In  some  locations  rails  may 
have  to  be  handled  in  the  same  way  as  ties,  enough  being 
taken  out  in  the  morning  for  a  day's  work,  and  the  old 
rails  picked  up  each  night  and  carried  to  a  place  where 
they  can  be  piled  outside  of  the  yard  tracks.  Usually, 

223 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

however,  new  rails  may  be  distributed  beforehand  and 
laid  along-  close  to  the  ends  of  the  ties. 

Fall  Work — The  foreman  should  run  over  his  yard  in 
the  fall  and  pick  up  any  particularly  bad  spots  which  have 
developed  since  the  summer  work.  This  will  decrease 
shimming  and  broken  rails  in  winter.  The  foreman 
should  check  up  on  the  yard  cleaners,  so  the  yards  may 
be  cleaned  up  before  the  first  snow,  particular  attention 
being  paid  to  ladder  tracks.  In  some  places  dirt,  cinders 
and  other  rubbish  will  accumulate  almost  to  the  top  of 
the  rail ;  this  if  left  until  winter  would  make  it  difficult 
to  keep  the  tracks  in  shape  for  use.  Old  ties  and  rubbish 
should  be  burned  or  otherwise  disposed  of.  Rails,  switch 
points,  frogs  and  car  scrap  of  every  kind  should  be 
loaded  at  this  time. 

A  very  neat  and  serviceable  scrap  bin  can  be  made  of 
ties  and  planks.  The  ties  may  first  be  laid  down  for 
stringers  for  2  bins  8  ft.  square,  and  a  flooring  of  plank 
or  a  solid  floor  of  ties  used.  The  sides  and  back  can  be 
made  4  ties  high,  ties  being  drift-bolted  together.  The 
fronts  of  the  bin  can  be  left  open  so  that  the  scrap  can 
be  thrown  in  or  shoveled  out  easily.  Back  of  these  bins 
a  platform  may  be  laid  on  which  to  place  large  pieces  of 
scrap,  the  bins  being  intended  for  spikes,  bolts,  nuts,  nut 
locks,  etc. 

Frogs,  switches  and  guard  rails  should  be  carefully 
inspected  and  renewals  made  where  necessary.  Little  of 
this  kind  of  work  should  be  left  for  the  winter,  at  which 
time  renewals  are  not  only  more  difficult  to  make,  but 
time  is  seldom  available  to  devote  to  this  without  neg- 
lecting the  more  important  work  of  keeping  the  tracks 
clear  of  snow  and  ice. 

Before  the  ground  freezes,  snow  holes  should  be  dug 


YARD     MAINTENANCE 


under  switch  rails,  frogs  and  old  type  guard  rails,  giving 
especial  attention  to  spring  rail  frogs.  It  will  also  be 
necessary  to  dig  out  snow  holes  under  mechanical  inter- 
locking cranks,  compensators,  etc.  Wherever  possible, 
a  ditch  should  be  dug  to  the  snow  holes  so  that  the 


17— Easily    Built,    Neat    Scrap   Bins. 


water  will  drain  away  from  them.  At  frogs  it  is  fre- 
quently possible  to  drain  the  snow  holes  by  digging  out 
half  way  to  the  bottom  of  the  ties  clear  across  to  the 
outside  rail  and  then  down  the  bank. 

The  foreman  should  check  up  his  tools  and  see  that 

225 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

there  are  plenty  of  sharp  picks,  sharp  bars,  salt,  rattan 
brooms,  snow  boxes,  hydro-carbon  and  any  other  mate- 
rial which  winter  work  is  likely  to  require.  These  tools 
and  supplies  should  be  ordered  early  enough  so  that 
they  will  arrive  long  before  the  first  snow  storm. 

Winter  Work — Before  the  first  snow  the  men  should 
go  over  the  yard  and  ladder  tracks  looking  for  loose 
bolts,  driving  down  high  spikes  and  regaging  wherever 
necessary.  As  the  frost  gradually  penetrates,  trouble  is 
likely  to  be  experienced  with  the  ladder  tracks  from 
switch  points  binding,  caused  by  heaving — the  lead  or 
rail  ahead  of  the  point  may  heave  and  leave  the  heel  of 
the  switch  rail  low.  To  prevent  this,  shimming  will  have 
to  be  resorted  to  at  the  heels  of  switches  and  ahead  of 
the  points.  All  leads  should  be  well  ballasted  to  prevent 
heaving  as  far  as  possible. 

Even  in  a  large  yard  the  foreman  should  know  and 
keep  in  mind  the  exact  location  of  every  switch  without 
having  to  refer  to  a  diagram.  Then  when  a  snow  storm 
requires  the  hiring  of  extra  men,  the  foreman  can  assign 
the  men  to  their  locations  before  they  leave  the  tool 
house,  sending  out  a  bunch  of  green  men  with  one  of 
the  old  section  hands,  telling  him  what  switches  he  is 
to  keep  clear.  If  more  laborers  are  obtained  after  the 
original  assignment  is  made,  a  few  additional  may  be 
sent  to  each  location.  By  assigning  the  men  in  this 
way  the  work  will  be  started  without  delay.  The  fore- 
man should  then  constantly  patrol  the  yard,  and  if  he 
finds  that  there  are  too  many  men  at  some  places  and 
too  few  at  others,  he  can  rearrange  the  force. 

Switches  should  be  cleaned  out  y2  rail  length  ahead 
of  the  switch  points  and  about  the  same  distance  behind 
the  frog,  so  that  any  snow  which  is  dragged  along  by 

226 


YARD     MAINTENANCE 


locomotives  and  cars  will  be  dropped  before  it  gets  to 
the  switch  proper. 

The  guard  rails  on  ladders  should  be  watched  care- 
fully at  all  times,  as  they  are  likely  to  get  loose  or  be 
tipped  over  and  become  practically  useless.  The  dan- 
ger is  much  greater  in  the  winter,  however,  as  snow  and 
ice,  if  left  to  accumulate,  will  become  packed  between 
the  guard  rail  and  track  rail  and  will  thus  tend  to  wedge 
the  guard  rail  out.  Furthermore,  if  water  lodges  be- 
tween the  rails  and  freezes,  it  will  expand  and  increase 
the  pressure  tending  to  tip  the  guard  rail  over. 

For  these  reasons  guard  rails  should  be  kept  clean; 
snow  or  ice  should  not  be  allowed  to  accumulate  behind 
them.  During  a  storm  the  snow  holes  under  the  guard 
rails  should  be  kept  just  as  clean  as  those  under  the 
switches,  if  men  are  available  to  do  the  work. 

When  the  snow  gets  too  high  between  yard  tracks  a 
snow  train  is  usually  called  out,  although  a  ballast 
spreader  has  been  used  for  this  purpose  to  some  extent. 
In  passenger  terminal  yards  where  space  for  piling 
snow  is  limited,  it  will  probably  be  necessary  to  put  on 
the  snow  train  immediately  after  a  snow  storm  starts, 
but  in  freight  yards  the  train  can  usually  be  dispensed 
with  until  after  the  storm  is  over.  In  coach  yards  there 
is  little  space  between  the  tracks  and  usually  that  is 
occupied  by  sidewalks  which  must  be  kept  clear,  while 
in  the  freight  yard  there  is  likely  to  be  very  little  walk- 
ing around  between  the  tracks  during  the  storm.  Par- 
ticular pains  should  be  taken  to  clean  out  snow  holes 
and  snow  from  under  the  switch  stands  and  connecting 
rods,  because  a  little  ice  will  prevent  these  from  work- 
ing. For  the  same  reason,  whenever  a  thaw  occurs,  the 
water  should  be  bailed  out  or  drained  away  from  switch 

227 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

stands.  If  ground  type  switch  stands  fill  with  water 
and  freeze  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  loosen  them  up, 
it  being  frequently  necessary  to  build  fires  around  them 
and  melt  the  ice  out.  Salt  may  also  be  used  for  this  pur- 
pose and  is  frequently  required  for  use  on  ties  under  the 
switch  rails  and  frogs. 

Scale  platforms  must  be  very  carefully  cleaned  of  snow 
and  ice.  Water  accumulating  and  freezing  in  the  crev- 
ices in  scale  platforms  is  likely  to  cause  inaccurate 
weighing.  Water  freezing  in  scale  pits  will  put  the 
scale  out  of  operation. 

Conclusions — It  is  harder  to  work  to  a  definite  pro- 
gram in  yard  maintenance  than  it  is  in  section  mainte- 
nance. On  account  of  the  character  of  the  traffic  it  is 
frequently  ha-rder  to  get  a  few  minutes  on  tracks,  espe- 
cially on  ladders,  than  it  is  to  get  time  for  work  on  the 
main  line.  While  the  foregoing  description  covers  the 
work  which  is  possibly  most  important,  there  are  a 
number  of  things  which  must  be  given  first  attention  in 
all  seasons,  notably  broken  or  canted  rails,  defective 
switches  or  switch  appliances,  broken  bolts  or  angle 
bars,  etc.  Tie  plates  or  rail  braces  can  be  applied,  frogs 
and  switches  renewed,  angle  bars  changed,  bolts  re- 
newed, spikes  driven  down  and  crossing  planks  reset  in 
favorable  winter  weather. 

If  the  foreman  has  also  to  maintain  several  miles  of 
main  line,  the  outlines  given  on  section  work  should  be 
followed  where  conditions  warrant.  If  the  yard  is  large 
an  assistant  foreman  will  be  an  economical  necessity. 
Usually  the  assistant  should  be  assigned  work  in  the 
yard,  although  occasions  will  frequently  arise  when  the 
foreman  will  want  to  supervise  the  yard  work  and  send 
his  assistant  out  on  main  line  work. 

228 


YARD     MAINTENANCE 


Very  large  yards  have  to  be  broken  up  into  several 
sections,  supervised  by  a  general  foreman  and  several 
foremen,  or  by  several  foremen  working  directly  under 
the  roadmaster.  The  best  plan  is  to  put  the  supervision 
in  charge  of  a  capable  general  foreman — a  man  capable 
of  filling  a  vacancy  as  roadmaster.  This  centralizes 
authority  and  is  more  likely  to  keep  the  entire  yard  in 
fair  shape,  besides  giving  the  general  foreman  most 
excellent  experience  for  a  roadmaster's  position. 


229 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
RAPID  IMPROVEMENT  OF  A  SECTION 

A  track  is  no  stronger  than  its  weakest  point.  It  is 
better  to  have  uniformly  fair  track  than  to  have  stretches 
of  excellent  track  mixed  in  with  sections  of  poor  track. 

It  is  occasionally  necessary  to  assign  a  new  foreman  to 
a  section  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  rapid  improve- 
ment in  the  condition  of  the  track,  to  insure  safety  or  to 
bring  it  up  to  the  required  standard.  There  are  many 
reasons  for  poor  condition  of  a  track,  among  which  might 
be  mentioned  lack  of  or  poor  labor,  an  incompetent  or 
neglectful  foreman,  curtailment  of  appropriations  for 
track  work,  track  on  a  new  grade,  or  emergency  work 
such  as  washouts,  whereby  the  section  forces  have  been 
diverted  from  their  regular  duties. 

The  New  Foreman  on  a  Section — When  a  New 
foreman  is  given  a  section  which  has  been  improperly 
maintained,  he  will  find  enough  work  for  ten  gangs  of 
the  size  he  is  usually  allowed.  Nevertheless,  he  will 
generally  be  expected  to  restore  the  track  to  the  required 
standard  without  even  the  help  of  an  extra  gang.  Even 
if  an  extra  gang  were  furnished,  it  would  be  necessary 
for  the  section  gang  to  follow  out  a  program  of  rapid 
improvement  for  the  entire  section  in  advance  of  the 
extra  gang.  One  of  the  first  things  the  foreman  is  like- 
ly to  find  is  that  the  track  needs  surfacing  out  of  face. 
However,  there  will  be  some  places  which  are  rougher 
and  need  attention  more  than  others  and  the  foreman 
should  make  it  a  positive  rule  to  give  all  the  bad  places 
attention  first.  Track,  like  a  chain,  is  no  stronger  than 

230 


RAPID     IMPROVEMENT     OF    A     SECTION 

its  weakest  link.  It  is  better  to  have  uniform  track  in 
fair  condition  than  to  have  stretches  of  good  track 
mixed  in  with  stretches  of  poor  track. 

Skirmishing — It  is  very  difficult  for  a  section  fore- 
man to  do  this  kind  of  work,  which  one  supervisor  has 
aptly  called  "skirmishing."  As  a  rule,  section  forces, 
both  foremen  and  laborers,  are  trained  to  be  thorough, 
keeping  in  mind  quality  rather  than  quantity.  For  in- 
stance, they  are  accustomed  to  tamp  track  with  tamping 
bars  or  picks,  dress  it  up,  line  up  the  shoulder  and  bal- 
last line  and  leave  everything  in  first-class  condition. 
Another  reason  why  a  foreman  dislikes  to  run  over  a 
section  hurriedly,  spotting  out  only  the  worst  places,  is 
that  a  good  foreman  takes  pride  in  his  work  and  will 
be  careful  to  leave  nothing  behind  him  which  could  be 
criticised  by  another  good  trackman,  or  which  he  is 
not  proud  of  himself.  Sometimes  the  foreman  will  even 
go  so  far  as  to  neglect  or  ignore  the  orders  of  the  road- 
master,  who  is  constantly  riding  over  the  track  and  is 
therefore  able  to  locate  the  roughest  spots,  or  he  may 
postpone  fulfilling  his  superior's  instructions  until  he 
has  completed  the  job  he  is  working  on.  This  is  a  great 
detriment  to  the  work  in  most  cases  and  should  not  be 
allowed;  to  prevent  it  the  roadmaster  should  check  up 
carefully  to  see  that  his  orders  are  obeyed  immediately. 
On  the  other  hand,  there  are  many  foremen  who  would 
improve  the  section  quickly  and  do  only  the  work  which 
requires  immediate  attention  if  they  knew  just  what  was 
necessary  or  had  had  some  experience  in  this  class  of 
work,  and  it  is  believed  that  the  following  hints  may  be 
of  value  to  such  men. 

First  Inspection — The  first  thing  which  a  foreman 
should  do  on  taking  over  a  new  section  is  to  walk  or 

231 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    MAINTENANCE 

make  a  trip  over  it  on  a  hand  or  motor  car,  to  familiarize 
himself  with  the  conditions.  When  making  this  prelim- 
inary inspection  he  should  look  carefully  for  dangerous 
places  in  the  track,  such  as  low  joints  on  the  high  sides 
of  curves,  low  bridge  approaches,  poor  alinement  at  high- 
way and  railway  crossings,  the  condition  of  switches 
(especially  facing  point  switches),  low  joints  alternately 
on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other,  skeleton  track  or  track 
without  a  shoulder,  churning  ties,  etc.  He  may  be  able 
to  make  the  first  inspection  thorough  enough  to  make 
recommendations  regarding  water  pockets,  slides,  or  soft 
spots  in  cuts.  He  can  then  order  the  ballast  or  other 
materials  necessary  to  put  the  track  in  a  safe  condition. 

In  subsequent  trips  the  foreman  should  ascertain  the 
location,  degree,  and  proper  elevation  of  all  curves,  the 
numbers  of  frogs,  location  of  water  ways,  the  weight 
and  type  of  rails,  both  in  main  and  side  tracks,  type  of 
rail  joints,  etc.  Then  he  should  check  his  emergency 
supplies  to  see  that  he  has  a  sufficient  quantity  and  to 
be  sure  they  are  the  right  size. 

Laying  Out  Each  Day's  Work — The  most  impor- 
tant part  of  the  foreman's  duties  is  to  lay  out  the  work 
in  the  order  in  which  it  is  to  be  done.  If  the  entire  sec- 
tion is  to  be  covered  in  ten  days,  for  instance,  the  fore- 
man should  divide  his  section  into  approximately  10  equal 
parts,  using  natural  division  points  such  as  bridges,  cross- 
ings, etc.  It  may  be  necessary  to  lay  out  unequal  sections 
because  some  parts  of  the  track  may  require  much  more 
work  than  others.  The  foreman  should  determine,  how- 
ever, to  cover  his  entire  section  in  not  more  than  ten 
days — seven  days  would  be  better.  When  raising  bad 
spots,  the  foreman  will  find  it  advantageous  to  walk 
ahead  of  the  gang  in  the  morning  with  a  piece  of  chalk, 

232 


RAPID     IMPROVEMENT     OF    A     SECTION 

leaving  the  gang  in  charge  of  an  assistant,  or  first  raising 
enough  joints  to  keep  the  men  busy  while  he  is  gone, 
marking  the  joints  which  he  wishes  to  raise  by  two  crosses 
on  the  base  of  the  rail,  one  on  each  side  of  the  joint, 
locating  these  crosses  so  that  they  will  include  between 
them  all  the  ties  that  it  is  necessary  to  tamp.  After 
the  foreman  has  marked  off  the  places  which  he  intends  to 
cover  that  day,  he  should  return  to  the  gang  imme- 
diately. 

Organization  and  Distribution  of  Laborers — As  it 
is  only  possible  to  employ  a  few  men  when  beginning 
any  piece  of  work,  for  instance  in  surfacing,  it  is  advis- 
able to  take  part  of  the  gang  ahead  while  there  is  still 
some  dressing  up  to  be  done,  leaving  the  remainder  of 
the  gang  to  finish.  After  a  sufficient  amount  of  track  has 
been  raised,  the  remainder  of  the  gang  with  the  excep- 
tion of  possibly  one  man  may  be  brought  ahead.  In 
this  manner  all  the  men  can  be  kept  constantly  at  work. 
The  same  holds  true  when  lining  up  a  highway  crossing. 
As  it  will  be  impossible  to  employ  all  of  the  men  in  taking 
up  the  crossing  planks  without  carrying  an  unusually 
large  number  of  lining  bars,  pinch  bars,  etc.,  the  work 
of  tearing  up  should  be  done  by  a  couple  of  men 
while  the  others  are  finishing  up  the  preceding  job. 
Likewise,  after  the  low  joints  have  been  raised  in  a 
crossing  and  it  has  been  lined,  all  of  the  gang  save  two 
may  be  taken  ahead,  leaving  these  two  to  replace  and 
spike  down  the  planks  and  do  whatever  dressing  is  neces- 
sary. 

Spiking  and  Gaging — Wherever  a  little  gaging  is 
necessary,  a  couple  of  men  should  remain  to  do  this 
work,  though  they  should  if  possible  be  kept  in  sight 
of  the  foreman.  It  may  sometimes  be  necessary  to  take 

233 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

a  good  share  of  the  gang  out  of  sight  of  two  or  three 
of  the  men — for  instance,  around  a  curve  in  a  cut — and 
in  this  case  the  foreman  should  leave  men  whom  he  can 
trust  to  keep  at  work  while  not  under  direct  supervision. 
Curves  and  Bridge  Approaches — The  curves  of 
course,  will  require  prompt  attention.  Low  joints,  in  the 
high  side  of  the  track  especially,  may  cause  a  derailment, 
and  wide  gage  is  more  often  found  and  is  more  danger- 
ous on  curves  than  on  tangent.  If  the  track  is  not  tie- 
plated,  it  will  be  possible,  during  the  preliminary  in- 
spection, to  spot  cases  of  wide  gage  by  noting  places 
where  the  outside  rail  has  drawn  away  from  the  in- 
side spikes.  Bridge  approaches  will  almost  always 
require  some  attention  and  they  should  be  raised 
for  a  distance  of  at  least  100  ft.  or  more  back  from  the 
bridge,  rather  than  only  one  rail  length  as  is  frequently 
done.  The  track  should  be  raised  one  or  two  inches 
higher  than  the  bridge,  particularly  if  the  embank- 
ment is  settling  rapidly,  so  that  it  will  be  unnecessary 
to  give  the  bridge  approaches  further  attention  until 
after  a  storm.  The  foreman  should  be  careful  when 
raising  bridge  approaches  not  to  run  too  far  back  on 
the  track  (as  he  will  often  be  tempted  to  do  because 
the  track  is  rough),  but  must  remember  that  there  are 
other  places  which  are  in  greater  need  of  attention. 
Highway  Crossings — Usually  the  track  through 
highway  crossings  is  neglected  because  of  the  extra  work 
involved  in  taking  up  and  replacing  the  planks;  when  a 
section  has  deteriorated  through  any  of  the  causes  pre- 
viously mentioned,  usually  the  crossings  will  have  suf- 
fered severely.  The  foreman  should  be  careful  to  take 
out  the  local  kinks  at  the  crossing,  but  should  also  be  sure 
that  the  track  lines  up  properly  with  the  tangent  for 

234 


RAPID     IMPROVEMENT     OF    A     SECTION 

some  distance  each  way  before  he  puts  down  the  planks 
again.  The  same  might  be  said  of  railroad  crossings,  but 
as  it  takes  a  long  time  to  line  these  up  correctly,  it 
would  be  best  to  let  them  remain  until  after  the  prelim- 
inary work  on  the  entire  section  has  been  done,  unless 
they  are  very  badly  out  of  line. 

Scanty  Ballast — Wherever  there  is  a  piece  of  skel- 
eton track,  or  a  lack  of  ballast  on  the  shoulder,  the 
foreman  should  correct  these  conditions  at  the  earliest 
opportunity  as  sun  kinks  are  likely  to  develop  and 
cause  wrecks.  The  quickest  remedy  is  to  order  gravel 
in  center-dump  cars  and  spread  it  just  as  soon  as  it 
arrives.  It  will  not  be  necessary  to  dress  off  from  the 
center  to  the  shoulder  immediately,  as  the  weight  of 
the  ballast  on  top  of  the  ties  will  be  sufficient  to  hold 
the  track. 

Churning  Joints — Churning  joints  are  quickly  dis- 
covered by  a  good  trackman  and  will  receive  his  atten- 
tion in  running  over  the  track  for  the  first  time,  because 
he  knows  that  the  seriousness  of  the  condition  does  not 
show  up  in  a  case  of  this  kind  except  when  a  train  is  run- 
ning over  the  joint.  A  churning  joint  may  appear  to  be 
only  a  half  inch  low,  but  since  it  has  no  foundation  it 
may  sink  2  inches  or  more  when  the  wheels  of  a  train 
pass  over  it.  Churning  joints  should  therefore  have 
early  attention. 

Bad  Ties — Frequently  a  very  large  number  of  tie 
renewals  will  be  necessary,  and  the  foreman's  inclina- 
tion will  be  to  make  the  renewals  complete  where  there 
are  a  large  number  to  come  out  per  rail  length.  But 
if  the  track  is  unsafe,  he  should  run  over  the  section, 
putting  in  just  enough  new  ties  to  make  the  track  safe 
— 2,  3  or  4  ties  per  rail  length. 

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PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

Summary — To  summarize,  the  preliminary  work 
of  a  foreman  on  a  new  section  should  be  confined,  first, 
to  places  which  are  actually  dangerous,  and  second,  to 
such  other  places  as  are  in  particularly  bad  condition  com- 
pared with  the  rest  of  the  bad  track  on  the  section.  The 
foreman  who  will  pocket  his  pride  and  quickly  improve 
the  worst  spots  will  probably  escape  the  censure  of  the 
roadmaster  and  higher  officers  and  gain  for  himself  credit 
for  having  improved  the  track  materially  in  a  very  short 
space  of  time. 


236 


CHAPTER    XV 
TRACK  MATERIALS,  TOOLS  AND  APPLIANCES 

The  question  of  tools  is  getting  to  be  a  more  serious 
one  every  year.  The  track  man  is  interested  in  keeping 
down  the  number  to  the  minimum  and  for  this  reason 
is  interested  in  the  development  of  combination  tools. 

Good  Tools — Tools  should  be  of  highest  quality  and 
have  ample  strength,  combined  with  light  weight.  Poor 
tools  should  not  be  forced  on  the  foreman  against  his 
wishes.  In  order  to  prove  that  good  tools  are  justified, 
the  track  foreman  should  keep  an  accurate  record  and 
thus  be  able  to  give  reports  on  the  service  performed 
by  different  makes  of  tools  to  justify  his  requisitions. 

The  track  foreman  should  in  every  case  specify  the 
brand  of  tools  which  he  wishes.  Giving  the  foreman 
this  responsibility  will  help  to  get  better  results  out  of 
the  tools  which  are  furnished.  Furthermore  it  will  re- 
sult in  improvements  being  suggested  which  will  develop 
track  tools  better  adapted  to  the  work.  Another  reason 
why  track  foremen  should  specify  the  brand  of  tools  is 
that  it  is  impossible  for  a  salesman  to  "put  it  over"  on  a 
large  number  of  these  men — he  cannot  see  a  very  large 
proportion  of  the  track  foremen.  Then  if  meetings  of 
foremen  are  held  and  tools  discussed,  the  majority  of 
the  men  will  give  opinions  based  on  the  service  given 
by  various  tools  instead  of  opinions  formed  by  the  claims 
of  the  salesmen. 

Whenever  newly  designed  tools  or  appliances  are 
deemed  worthy  of  a  trial  they  should  be  put  on  sections 

237 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

where  the  track  foremen  are  especially  intelligent  and 
their  recommendations  should  be  final. 

While  the  foremen  are  not  usually  technical  men  and 
are  not  able  to  design  appliances  and  tools  from  a  tech- 
nical standpoint,  still  they  can  suggest  new  ideas  and 
inventions  to  others.  It  is  an  assured  fact  that  if  the 
foreman  were  given  more  of  a  voice  in  the  selection  of 
his  tools  that  he  would  take  better  care  of  them  and  do 
his  best  to  get  more  work  out  of  them.  It  would  add 
to  his  responsibility  and  increase  his  interest  in  that  par- 
ticular item  as  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  company. 

Care  of  Tools — It  seems  hardly  necessary  to  say  that 
a  section  foreman  should  take  the  best  care  of  both  ma- 
terials and  tools.  Wasted  materials  not  only  cause  in- 
creased expense  but  frequently  cause  great  delay  while 
waiting  for  new  material  to  take  its  place.  The  foreman 
should  attempt  to  obtain  the  maximum  life  out  of  every 
piece  of  material  furnished  him. 

The  foreman  must  look  after  and  take  care  of  his  track 
tools  so  that  they  will  be  kept  in  serviceable  condition. 
Tools  which  are  in  good  order  increase  the  work  of  the 
gang  materially  and  are  particularly  necessary  in  emer- 
gencies when  work  must  be  done  in  a  hurry.  If  looking 
after  the  track  tools  is  delegated  to  some  laborer,  the 
foreman  should  supervise  the  matter  very  carefully  to  see 
that  the  man  is  doing  his  work  right. 

Neatness — Neatness  is  an  indication  of  economical 
habits.  Section  houses  should  be  kept  in  a  neat  and 
orderly  condition.  Each  tool,  when  not  in  use,  should 
be  kept  in  its  place,  so  that  anyone  familiar  with  section 
tool  houses  could  go  in  and  get  a  tool  on  short  notice. 
It  is  a  good  idea  to  leave  a  small  outfit  of  tools  on  the 
hand  car  when  it  is  put  in  the  tool  house  at  night,  for 

238 


TRACK    MATERIAL,    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

instance  a  track  gage,  track  wrench,  spike  maul,  claw 
bar,  etc.,  so  that  if  it  is  necessary  to  do  any  emergency 
work  at  night  the  tools  will  be  already  collected.  Then 
if  one  man  is  called  out  to  make  repairs,  he  can  obtain 
all  of  the  tools  he  needs  from  the  hand  car. 

Laborers  should  not  be  permitted  to  hide  tools  to  keep 
for  their  own  special  use.  Such  methods  are  likely  to 
result  in  a  man  being  unable  to  find  a  monkey  wrench 
or  some  other  necessary  tool  when  called  out  to  repair 
a  switch  at  night. 

A  foreman  should  not  keep  a  large  number  of  extra 
tools  at  his  tool  house;  nor  should  he  keep  broken  or 
unserviceable  tools — they  should  be  sent  to  headquarters 
so  that  they  can  be  repaired  or  sent  to  sections  where 
they  are  needed. 

Ordering  Tools — One  of  the  most  necessary  things  in 
handling  materials  and  tools  is  to  have  a  clearly  defined 
system  of  ordering,  furnishing,  delivering  and  receiving 
them.  A  good  way  is  to  have  the  foreman  check  up  his 
tools  and  make  requisitions  which  are  filled  by  the  supply 
car  which  goes  over  the  road  once  a  month.  It  is  a  good 
idea  for  the  supply  car  to  collect  old  tools  in  exchange 
for  new  ones  as  this  makes  the  foreman  more  careful. 
The  supply  car  should  be  sent  out  about  the  same  time 
each  month  and  the  foreman  should  be  sure  to  have  tools 
which  are  to  be  repaired,  ready  to  be  loaded  when  the  car 
arrives. 

Full  Use  of  Materials — The  track  foreman  can  make  a 
very  considerable  saving  in  the  materials  which  he  uses 
in  a  year's  time.  In  cutting  rails  he  should  always  use 
the  shortest  rail  from  which  he  can  obtain  the  desired 
length.  When  distributing  spikes,  bolts  and  nut  locks 
he  should  not  allow  them  to  be  placed  where  they  will 

239 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

be  buried  or  hidden  from  view  and  left.  Ties  should 
be  carefully  inspected  and  those  which  will  be  serviceable 
for  a  year  or  more  should  not  be  removed.  Tools  should 
not  be  discarded  which  can  be  sharpened  or  repaired  and 
made  as  good  as  new.  Keeping  hand  cars  or  motor  cars 
in  good  order  with  all  nuts  tightened  up  will  prevent  the 
loss  of  parts  and  save  the  cost  of  replacing  them.  The 
track  foreman  should  keep  his  track  chisels,  axes,  adzes, 
scythes  and  drill  bits  sharp,  as  this  will  make  it  possible 
for  the  men  to  do  more  and  better  work. 

Keeping  Tools  in  Repair — Adzes  should  be  used  care- 
fully or  they  will  soon  get  dull.  When  relaying  track, 
there  are  times  when  a  good  many  green  men  will  have 
to  use  adzes  in  the  preliminary  work  and  poor  adzes  only 
should  be  used  for  this  purpose.  Even  an  experienced 
man  will  frequently  hit  a  spike  stub,  and  inexperienced 
men  will  often  hit  the  spikes  and  the  rail.  The  best  adzes 
should  be  saved  for  use  when  actually  replacing  rails, 
at  which  time  there  is  need  for  fast  work.  A  grindstone 
should  be  provided  for  a  relaying  gang  because  adzes 
must  be  ground  frequently. 

Level  and  spot  boards  should  be  used  carefully  so  that 
the  bubble  tube  will  not  be  displaced  or  broken.  The 
accuracy  of  these  tools,  and  the  track  gages,  is  largely 
responsible  for  the  degree  of  excellence  of  the  finished 
track. 

A  track  chisel  should  receive  only  light  and  square 
blows.  This  precaution  is  especially  necessary  with  a 
new  chisel  or  one  recently  sharpened  or  reground,  as  it 
is  likely  to  chip  and  become  spoiled  with  the  first  blow. 
When  cracking  a  rail,  a  dull  chisel  which  will  not  be 
spoiled  by  the  heavy  blows  should  be  used.  Track 
chisels  should  be  inspected  often  and  those  which  are 

240 


TRACK    MATERIAL,    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

unfit  for  use  should  be  sent  to  the  shop  to  be  retempered 
and  sharpened. 

If  a  track  gage  is  not  handled  correctly,  it  is  likely  to 
be  sprung  so  that  it  will  not  give  correct  gage.  The  gage 
should  never  be  driven  to  a  bearing  with  a  hammer,  nor 
should  it  be  set  against  a  rail  which  has  been  sprung  out 
considerably  with  a  bar,  unless  the  rail  is  held  away  from 
the  gage  until  the  spike  has  been  driven.  Before  using  a 
gage,  it  should  be  measured  with  a  steel  tape  line  to 
determine  whether  it  is  standard,  4  ft.  8^  in.  out  to  out 
of  the  lugs  . 

A  rail  drill  should  be  handled  only  by  experienced 
laborers.  The  machine  should  be  carefully  set  for  each 
hole,  and  the  bits  should  be  sharp  or  the  machine  will  be 
subjected  to  an  extra  strain.  Dull  drills  retard  the  work 
exceedingly  and  make  it  harder  for  the  laborers. 

The  use  of  rail  forks  makes  the  handling  of  rails  on 
cars  or  in  piles  easier,  increases  the  number  of  rails 
handled  and  generally  decreases  the  number  of  laborers 
required. 

A  rail  bender  should  have  the  threads  well  oiled  when 
used  for  putting  a  "stock"  in  rails.  The  use  of  oil  makes 
the  kinking  of  a  rail  easier,  but  after  being  oiled  the 
bender  must  not  be  thrown  down  where  dirt  will  stick 
to  the  oily  threads. 

The  rail  tongs  provided  should  be  all  of  one  pattern. 
The  best  kind  are  those  which  carry  the  rail  close  to  the 
ground,  just  high  enough  to  clear  other  rails  or  ties. 
Tongs  which  are  not  of  the  same  size,  or  on  which  the 
clamps  are  not  a  uniform  distance  below  the  handles,  will 
cause  the  load  to  fall  very  heavily  on  some  men  and 
lightly  on  others. 

Spike  mauls  should  be  carefully  hung  by  a  man  who 

241 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

understands  the  requirements.  In  order  to  get  the  max- 
imum and  most  satisfactory  use  of  the  tool,  the  handle 
should  have  a  snug  driving  fit.  A  long  thin  iron  wedge 
made  especially  for  the  purpose  should  then  be.  driven 
in  the  end  of  the  handle  to  wedge  the  head  on.  A  spike 
is  too  blunt,  and  a  nail  makes  a  poor  wedge. 

A  tie  fiddle  is  seldom  furnished  in  an  outfit  of  tools,  but 
can  easily  be  made  with  a  saw  and  hammer.  A  cleat  is 
nailed  at  right  angles  across  the  end  of  a  short  board,  the 
standard  distance  that  the  ties  are  to  project  beyond  the 
rail  base  is  marked  off  from  the  inside  edge  of  the  cleat, 
and  the  "board  is  sawed  off  on  this  line.  When  placed  on 
the  face  with  the  cleat  against  the  end  of  the  tie,  the 
uncleated  end  of  the  tie  fiddle  shows  the  correct  line  for 
the  outside  of  the  rail  base.  The  tie  fiddle  is  an  exceed- 
ingly useful  adjunct  to  the  tools  of  a  track  gang. 

A  tie  pole  is  made  by  marking  off  the  proper  or  stand- 
ard spacing  for  the  ties  on  a  board  or  iron  rod.  The  pole 
is  usually  made  the  same  length  as  a  standard  rail,  so  that 
the  joint  tie  centers  may  be  laid  out  properly  on  it.  The 
pole  should  be  carefully  measured  so  that  uniform  and 
correct  spacing  will  be  possible.  If  it  is  desired  to  have 
a  spacer  which  will  take  care  of  several  rail  lengths  of 
track,  a  wire  rope  or  cable  would  be  very  useful.  The 
standard  spacing  for  several  rail  lengths  could  be  painted 
on  in  white  paint ;  this  tie  spacer  would  not  have  to  be 
moved  so  often  and  would  make  it  possible  for  the  tie 
spacers  to  work  a  long  way  ahead  of  the  rail  gang.  The 
rear  rail  length  of  this  rope  could  be  left  unmarked,  and 
the  spacing  done  entirely  ahead  of  the  men  handling  rails. 

A  hook  gage  is  frequently  made  of  a  board  with  four 
cleats  which  clasp  the  balls  of  the  two  rails  and  hold  them 
to  gage  for  the  iron  car.  This  gage  is  seldom  furnished 

242 


TRACK    MATERIAL,    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

in  a  kit  of  tools,  but  if  properly  made  and  used  is  a  great 
labor  saver. 

Track  wrenches,  when  new,  are  likely  to  be  too  small 
between  the  jaws  to  fit  over  the  nuts.  In  hot  weather  they 
may  be  spread  in  the  following  manner :  Place  the  jaws 
of  the  wrench  flat  on  a  rail,  and  hit  the  shank  just  back 
of  the  jaws  with  a  spike  maul  several  times.  In  cold 
weather  the  wrench  must  be  heated  a  little  or  it  may 
break  when  struck  with  a  hammer.  The  jaws  should  not 
be  widened  further  than  necessary  to  make  a  very  snug 
fit,  as  the  tendency  in  use  is  to  become  wider. 

Tool  Boxes — Tool  boxes  should  be  kept  in  careful  and 
neat  order,  so  that  the  tool  man  or  foreman  can  obtain 
any  tool  instantly  when  needed.  Careful  placing  of  the 
tools  will  double  the  capacity  of  a  tool  box.  Heavy  tools 
such  as  lining  bars  and  spike  mauls  should  be  put  in  the 
bottom  and  light  tools  likely  to  be  bent  or  broken  should 
be  placed  near  the  top.  An  ordinary  wooden  box  will 
soon  be  knocked  to  pieces  unless  tools  are  placed  in  the 
box  and  not  thro\\n  in.  It  is  generally  advisable  to  have 
the  laborers  pile  their  tools  up  at  one  side  of  the  box  and 
to  have  the  tool  man  place  them  in  it. 

Loss  of  Tools — Tools,  if  not  watched,  are  likely  to  be 
borrowed  by  other  track  gangs.  Axes,  cold  chisels,  files, 
saws,  lanterns,  monkey  wrenches,  oil  cans,  padlocks, 
picks,  shovels,  tape  lines,  water  pails  and  dippers  are  of 
use  to  outsiders  and  may  be  stolen  if  not  properly  looked 
after. 

Tools  and  appliances  which  are  easily  lost  and  which 
should  therefore  be  checked  up  daily,  are  cold  chisels, 
crayons,  expansion  shims,  files,  axes,  saws,  oil  cans, 
drill  bits,  spike  pullers,  rail  forks,  track  chisels,  track 
wrenches,  spike  punches  and  center  punches. 

243 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    MAINTENANCE 


Too  much  stress  cannot  be  laid  on  the  necessity  of 
caring  for  tools.  Even  aside  from  the  question  of  econ- 
omy, the  necessity  for  good  tools  on  rush  jobs,  and  the 
advantage  of  having  good  tools  on  all  ordinary  jobs, 
should  be  sufficient  to  make  each  foreman  jealously  guard 
and  care  for  his  tools. 

Outfit  of  Tools — There  is  nothing  so  costly  in  handling 
tools  as  to  have  an  undersupply.  The  savings  which  can 
be  made  in  cost  of  tools  in  this  way  are  quickly  lost  in 
labor  charges.  For  a  gang  of  eight  men  the  following 
list  of  tools  should  be  provided  under  average  conditions. 
Where  traffic  is  heavier  or  in  terminals  where  a  large 
number  of  switches  must  be  maintained,  it  is  likely  that 
a  greater  supply  of  tools  would  have  to  be  furnished. 

Tools  for  a  Gang  of  8  Section  Men. 


Adzes    2 

Axe,  chopping 1 

Axe,  hand 1 

Bars,  claw    3 

Bars,  lining    8 

Bars,  pinch  2 

Bars,  tamping    8 

Brooms  1 

Brooms,  rattan 8 

Bits,    drill   of  each    diameter 

in  use 6 

Cars,    hand 1 

or  more  if  required. 
Cars,  push 1 

or  more  if  required. 

Chisels,  rail .6 

Cans,   oil 1 

Cans,  oil  for  each  lampman..2 

Cans,   water 1 

Cups,   water 2 

Drill,   rail 1 

Flags,  red .6 

Flags,  green 6 

Flags,  white  2 

Forks,  ballast 8 

Forks,  rail 2 


Gages,  track 1 

Grinder,   tool 1 

Hammers,   sledge 1 

Hammers,    hand 1 

Handles,  adze 6  extra 

Handles,  axe 1  extra 

Handles,  jack   2  extra 

Handles,  pick    6  extra 

Handles,     spike     maul  6  extra 

Jacks,    track 2 

Levels,   track 1 

Lines,    ditching 1 

Lines,  tape 1 

Lanterns,  red 4 

Lanterns,  green    2 

Lanterns,  white 6 

Mauls,  spike 6 

Picks,    clay 8 

Picks,    tamping 8 

Spike   pullers 2 

Squirt  cans 1 

Saws,  hand 1 

Saws,   crosscut 1 

Saw,    rail 1 

Shovels,  track 18 

Shovels,   scoop 6 


244 


TRACK    MATERIAL,    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 


Tongs,  rail 6      Wrenches,  monkey 2 

Pongs,       tie       (Combination  (1  12  in.  and  1  18  in.) 

used  for  pulling  and  carry-          Wrenches,  S 2 

ing)    6  (For  frog  bolts.) 

Wrenches,  track 8 

For  mowing  the  right  of  way,  where  this  cannot  be 
done  by  machine,  the  following  tools  should  be  provided : 

Grindstones    1      Scythe   snaths • 8 

Scythes,  brush 1      Scythe    stones 8 

Scythes,  grass 8 

Hand  Cars — It  hardly  seems  necessary  to  comment 
upon  the  operation  of  ordinary  hand  cars  and  speeders. 
But  the  scarcity  of  easy  running  and  properly  cared  for 
cars  which  a  foreman  finds  as  he  moves  from  gang  to 
gang  and  railroad  to  railroad  would  seem  to  indicate  that 
there  is  something  radically  wrong  somewhere.  The 
majority  of  men  dismiss  the  subject  by  assigning  the 
reasons  of  "carelessness  and  neglect."  True,  this  ac- 
counts for  a  large  proportion  of  the  trouble,  but  expe- 
rience shows  that  not  less  than  half  is  due  entirely  to 
ignorance.  Many  handcar  and  speeder  pumpers  are  per- 
fectly willing  and  would  be  anxious  to  properly  care  for 
their  cars  if  they  knew  how  to  put  them  and  keep  them 
in  easy  running  shape,  so  as  to  lighten  the  labor  of  pump- 
ing. 

Most  handcars  are  manufactured  with  the  idea  of  mak- 
ing them  light  running,  and  consequently  the  majority 
of  new  cars  when  received  are  squared  up  and  true.  How- 
ever, if  they  are  not,  they  should  be  tuned  up  by  loosen- 
ing the  bolts  which  fasten  the  boxes  in  which  one  of  the 
axles  revolves,  and  moving  one  end  of  the  axle  forward 
or  back  to  a  position  where  there  will  be  no  tendency 
for  the  flange  of  any  wheel  to  bind  against  the  rail  when 
the  car  is  moved  forward  on  straight  track.  (See  Fig. 
18.) 

245 


PRACTICAL    TRACK    MAINTENANCE 

Wheels  Binding — Flanges  binding  against  the  rail 
cause  more  hard  pumping  than  any  other  single  defect. 
When  the  axles  are  in  the  proper  position,  the  bolts 
should  be  tightened  firmly  and  kept  tight.  Handcars 
should  be  tried  out  frequently  to  see  if  they  are  true  as 
setting  them  off  and  on  the  track,  pushing  them  loaded 
with  tools  over  highway  crossings,  rough  handling,  etc., 
are  very  likely  to  loosen  and  move  the  boxes  from  their 
proper  positions. 

Binding  may  also  be  caused  by  a  wheel  not  running 
parallel  to  the  track,  although  the  axle  may  be  in  proper 


Correct  Position 
for  Axle 


ling 
Fig.  18 — Hand  Car  Axles  in  Incorrect  Position. 

position.  (See  Fig.  19.)  This  in  a  new  car  is  clearly  the 
fault  of  the  manufacturer  and  should  be  remedied  in  the 
shop.  Binding  occasionally  is  caused  by  a  crooked  wheel. 
If  the  wheel  cannot  be  straightened  and  trued  up  a  new 
wheel  should  be  obtained. 

Front  and  Rear — Most  handcars  have  their  front  or 
rear  ends  marked,  and  if  the  wheels  and  axles  are 
properly  trued  up  the  car  will  always  run  lighter  when 
placed  on  the  track  with  the  front  end  in  the  direction 
of  travel.  This  is  especially  true  when  running  around 
curves.  All  wheels  except  the  loose  wheels  should  be 
keyed  tightly  to  the  axle  and  not  allowed  to  work  loose 
or  get  out  of  position  so  that  they  may  bind.  The  loose 

246 


TRACK    MATERIAL,    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

wheel  should  be  painted  a  conspicuous  color  or  otherwise 
marked  so  as  to  be  readily  recognized  and  the  car  should 
always  be  turned  by  lifting  the  end  opposite  to  the  end 
with  the  loose  wheel.  Proper  lubrication  of  the  loose 
wheel  reduces  the  work  of  pumping  around  curves,  as  it 
allows  easier  adjustment  to  the  unequal  distance  traveled 
by  the  inner  and  outer  wheels. 

Grinding — Next  in  importance  to  binding  comes  grind- 
ing. Grinding  in  the  bearings  may  be  due  to  lack  of  oil, 
but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  more  frequently  it  is  because  of 
dirt  and  sand  in  the  bearings. 


^•Correct  fa/f/or> 
for  Wheel 


ff/namc 


i 


Wrong 
for  Wheel  ^ 

Fig.   19 — Hand  Car  Wheel  Flange  Binding. 

Handcars  should  not  be  used  for  transporting  sand  and 
gravel,  but  in  case  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  use  them 
for  this  purpose,  the  bearing  and  oil  holes  should  be  pro- 
tected by  boards  or  tin  strips,  or  by  plugging  up. 

Oiling — Exterior  surfaces  around  bearings  and  oil 
holes  should  be  kept  clean  of  oil  and  grease,  otherwise 
dirt  will  accumulate.  The  cogs  of  the  gear  wheels  of 
either  a  speeder  or  handcar  should  never  be  oiled.  While 
good,  clean  oil  will  reduce  friction  between  the  cogs,  it 
will  also  cause  an  accumulation  cf  dirt,  sand  and  cinders 
and  before  long  the  teeth  will  be  choked  with  a  hard, 
gritty  mass  which  will  cause  the  car  to  drag,  even  down 
grade. 

247 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

Bolts  and  screws  holding  the  frame  together  should  be 
kept  reasonably  tight,  but  not  too  tight,  especially  where 
the  heads  or  nuts  and  washers  sink  into  the  wood.  Unless 
the  nuts  on  the  underside  of  the  platform  are  tightened 
occasionally,  especially  those  with  which  oil  comes  in 
constant  contact,  they  will  jar  loose  and  the  lower  half 
of  the  bearing  box  may  drop  off  unnoticed.  Hand  car 
boxes  and  nuts  should  always  be  kept  tight  enough  to 
keep  lost  motion  at  a  minimum  for  easy  running,  and  the 
cars  should  be  oiled  each  day.  Cars  which  run  easily 
save  the  strength  of  the  men,  and  also  save  time.  Hard 
running  cars  breed  dissatisfaction.  The  push  car  should 
also  receive  frequent  attention  and  oiling. 

The  "head-wind"  always  has  been  and  always  will  be 
the  pumper's  worst  enemy.  We  cannot  control  it ;  but 
we  can  control  the  condition  in  which  we  keep  the  hand- 
cars which  we  pump  every  day. 

Motor  Cars — The  use  of  gasoline  section  motor  cars  on 
railways  has  been  recommended  by  many  progressive 
officials  who  concede  that  they  make  for  ultimate  econ- 
omy. However,  the  success  of  any  innovation  is  attended 
by  some  failures.  In  the  case  of  railway  motor  cars,  fail- 
ures can  generally  be  charged  to  faulty  operation  and 
improper  care.  Motor  cars  have  not  reached  the  stage 
where  they  are  fool  proof  and  it  is  doubtful  if  they  ever 
will. 

The  first  requirement  necessary  for  success  in  the  use 
of  railway  motor  cars  is  to  select  a  car  which  is  suitable. 
Obviously  a  light  inspection  car  should  not  be  selected 
to  carry  four  or  five  men  and  pull  a  speeder  behind  carry- 
ing one  or  two  men,  and  vice  versa,  a  heavy  section  car 
should  not  be  assigned  to  the  use  of  two  men,  especially 
on  lines  of  heavy  traffic,  because  of  the  difficulty  of  han- 

248 


TRACK    MATERIAL,    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

dling  and  the  increased  likelihood  of  the  car  being  run 
down  by  a  train. 

Operators — Assuming  that  a  suitable  car  has  been 
selected,  the  next  essential  thing  is  that  one  man  among 
the  users  be  selected  as  an  operator  to  run  the  car,  instead 
of  allowing  different  men  to  operate  it.  If  a  car  is  oper- 
ated by  any  one  of  several  men,  each  considers  the  car 
to  have  been  improperly  adjusted  by  the  last  operator. 
Hence  there  is  a  great  deal  of  useless  and  sometimes 
harmful  tinkering  with  spark  coils,  gasoline  feed,  lubri- 
cator oil  cups,  etc.  An  emergency  operator  should  be 
broken  in,  but  the  practice  of  allowing  Tom,  Dick  and 
Harry  to  run  the  car  should  be  stopped. 

Instructions — The  man  selected  as  operator  should  be 
furnished  a  complete  set  of  instructions ;  and  he  should 
be  a  man  who  can  absorb  sufficient  knowledge  from 
printed  and  verbal  instructions  to  enable  him  to  thor- 
oughly understand  the  principles  of  the  generation  of 
power,  and  the  mechanical  contrivances  of  the  car.  If 
the  operator's  knowledge  consists  of  "advance  this  lever 
and  open  the  throttle,"  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  failure 
is  assured  at  the  very  outset. 

With  every  make  of  car  a  list  of  "don't  and  do's"  is 
furnished.  It  is  well  to  read  these  carefully,  for  they 
usually  represent  the  errors  which  inexperienced  oper- 
ators are  most  likely  to  make.  Actual  experience  with 
trouble,  however,  teaches  the  operator  more  than  any 
printed  matter,  provided  (1)  that  he  is  able  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  the  trouble ;  (2)  that  he  can  repair  or  over- 
come the  trouble,  and  (3)  that  he  can  prevent  similar 
trouble  from  recurring  in  the  future. 

Care  in  Operation — Hand  in  hand  with  good  opera- 
tion must  go  proper  care,  to  insure  success  with  motor 

249 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

cars.  Bolts  and  nuts  located  on  the  moving  parts  par- 
ticularly, and  all  parts  subjected  to  constant  jar  and 
contact  with  oil  are  likely  to  work  loose.  Therefore,  an 
occasional  inspection  and  tightening  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary. This  is  also  true  of  the  electrical  connections. 
Proper  lubrication  is  sometimes  neglected  in  order  to 
save  time,  but  this  frequently  ends  in  a  loss  of  time,  due 
to  the  cylinder  or  cylinders  running  hot.  With  an  air- 
cooled  engine  the  matter  of  lubrication  becomes  vital,  for 
a  hot,  dry  cylinder  means  loss  of  power  and  permanent 
injury  to  both  piston  and  cylinder,  due  to  the  friction, 
which  is  increased  by  the  expansion  of  the  piston  from 
the  heat  generated.  For  this  reason  extra  precautions 
should  be  taken  to  prevent  a  shortage  or  loss  of  lubri- 
cating oil  when  on  the  road  away  from  a  supply.  This 
is  the  most  frequent  cause  of  needless  injury  to  motor 
car  engines.  A  good  method  of  cooling  an  engine  is  to 
cut  out  the  compression  when  running  at  a  fair  speed  or 
down  grade,  and  allow  the  plunging  piston  to  draw  in 
cold  air  and  expel  it  with  the  following  stroke  after  it 
has  taken  up  heat.  Lubricating  oil  may  be  mixed  with 
the  gasoline  in  the  summer  time,  before  it  is  placed  in 
the  gasoline  tank,  providing  the  oil  is  light  and  free  from 
all  foreign  matter  which  might  stop  up  the  outlet.  A 
lubricating  oil  can  be  obtained  which  actually  unites 
with  the  gasoline.  If  this  oil  is  well  mixed  with  the 
gasoline  before  placing  it  in  the  tank  it  will  not  settle 
and  congeal,  even  in  cold  weather. 

Exposure  of  cars  to  inclement  weather,  while  not  nec- 
essarily dangerous,  should  be  avoided,  particularly  since 
a  few  square  yards  of  heavy  weather  proof  covering, 
such  as  tarpaulin,  will  be  sufficient  to  protect  the  car. 
Continued  rain  or  snow,  especially  with  a  driving  wind, 

250 


TRACK    MATERIAL,    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

is  certain  to  cause  trouble  somewhere.  Proper  care  of 
a  motor  car,  however,  does  not  consist  entirely  of  pre- 
vention. When  a  car  appears  consistently  to  lack  its 
usual  power,  it  isn't  a  candidate  for  the  junk  pile,  or  nec- 
essarily a  bad  order  case  for  the  shop.  A  complete  over- 
hauling and  cleaning  is  more  often  all  that  is  required, 
and  this  can  usually  be  done  in  a  few  hours'  time  by  a 
man  familiar  with  gasoline  engines,  with  the  ordinary 
available  kit  of  tools  and  equipment. 

From  observation  and  experience,  the  conclusion  is 
that  so-called  "failures"  are  not  failures  of  the  motor 
cars  themselves  but  rather  failures '  chargeable  to  lack 
of  proper  care  and  lack  of  operating  ability. 

Keeping  Cars  Clean — There  is  one  point  which  cannot 
be  emphasized  too  strongly — keep  the  cars  clean.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  important  points  in  maintaining  effi- 
ciency in  this  service,  although  it  may  not  appear  so. 

A  little  time  should  be  spent  every  day  cleaning  off 
the  grease  and  dirt,  and  the  car  should  be  cleaned  well 
at  least  once  or  twice  a  week,  depending  on  its  condi- 
tion— once  a  week  at  the  very  least  is  necessary. 

Inspection — A  daily  inspection  of  the  car  is  also  most 
important.  This  means  tightening  any  screws  or  nuts 
that  may  have  worked  loose  during  the  day's  run.  This 
can  be  done  at  night  or  in  the  morning,  but  it  should 
be  done  daily.  It  is  very  seldom  necessary  to  take  a  car 
apart,  but  in  such  case  it  is  preferable  that  an  experi- 
enced man  be  called  in  to  do  the  work  unless  the  oper- 
ator understands  the  case  thoroughly.  When  a  car  is 
in  need  of  repairing,  aside  from  the  engine,  it  should 
not  be  run,  but  should  be  repaired,  thereby  avoiding 
accidents. 

Filling  the  Tank — When  filling  the  gasoline  tank  it  is 

251 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

advisable  to  strain  the  gasoline  through  chamois  skin. 
This  draws  out  any  water  impurities  that  may  be  in  the 
fuel.  If  the  gasoline  feed  tube  leaks,  the  car  should  not 
be  used  because  the  chances  are  it  will  catch  fire. 

The  car  should  always  be  covered  when  not  in  use, 
giving  it  as  much  protection  from  the  elements  as  pos- 
sible. Oil  and  grease  should  be  kept  away  from  the  in- 
sulated wires,  for  in  time  the  oil  will  soak  through  and 
ruin  the  insulation. 

Spark  Plugs — When  testing  a  spark  plug,  it  should 
be  held  not  more  than  about  Y^  in.  from  the  cylinder, 
otherwise  the  coil  will  be  injured  and  possibly  burnt  out. 
Spark  plugs  seldom  wear  out ;  in  case  they  are  giving 
trouble,  2*1  that  is  usually  needed  is  a  thorough  clean- 
ing. It  is  not  necessary  to  screw  spark  plugs  in  exces- 
sively tight ;  if  this  is  done,  they  will  expand  so  much 
that  it  will  be  almost  impossible  to  get  them  out  again. 
Porcelain  plugs  break  very  easily  and  must  not  be 
screwed  up  too  tight. 

Dry  Cells — Sometimes  in  cold  weather  dry  cells  will 
freeze  up.  This  does  not  mean  that  they  are  run  down, 
but  if  thawed  they  will  probably  be  found  all  right. 
When  leaving  a  car  the  battery  switch  should  be  thrown 
off,  and  the  gasoline  valve  closed.  If  the  car  is  water- 
cooled  the  water  should  be  drawn  from  the  radiator  and 
cylinder  in  freezing  weather;  this  prevents  the  cylinder 
from  cracking. 

Use  for  Recreation — The  practice  of  allowing  gaso- 
line cars  to  be  used  for  recreation,  outside  of  working 
hours,  should  be  discouraged,  especially  in  the  absence 
of  the  foreman.  Indiscriminate  use  of  motor  cars  is 
likely  to  result  in  accidents  and  loss  of  life,  du  to  col- 
lisions with  other  small  cars  or  with  trains. 

252 


TRACK    MATERIAL,    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

Rigid  rules  for  the  operation  of  all  classes  of  power 
inspection  and  section  cars  should  be  formulated  and  en- 
forced. Where  practical,  and  especially  with  heavy  cars 
or  heavy  loads,  motor  cars  should  be  operated  by  train 
orders.  If  this  is  impractical,  the  man  operating  the  car 
should  keep  in  close  communication  with  train  despatch- 
ers  and  station  agents.  Flagging  must  be  resorted  to 
occasionally  to  protect  the  car ;  and  when  necessary,  no 
hesitancy  should  be  shown  in  stopping  even  the  most 
important  tra-ins  if  there  is  a  possibility  of  a  collision. 

Details  of  Motor  Car  Operation — Before  starting  a 
car  the  gasoline  tank  should  be  examined  to  see  that 
there  is  sufficient  fuel  to  run  it  to  the  destination.  When 
the  engine  starts,  the  timer  lever  should  be  advanced 
slowly.  The  timer  lever  should  always  be  carried  ahead 
of  the  throttle  lever  when  running.  This  not  only  saves 
the  gasoline,  but  gets  more  power  out  of  the  car.  Grease 
cups  should  be  screwed  up  tight,  and  the  car  should 
be  well  oiled  before  starting.  A  car  should  not  be  run 
faster  than  twenty  miles  per  hour.  When  running  a 
car  behind  a  train,  it  should  run  at  least  1,000  feet  in 
the  rear. 

The  brakes  should  always  be  tested  before  starting. 
Grandstand  stops  should  never  be  attempted  as  the 
brakes  may  fail.  When  approaching  road  crossings,  the 
car  should  be  run  slow,  with  engine  cut  out,  and  always 
at  such  speed  that  the  car  may  be  stopped  before  run- 
ning onto  the  crossing.  It  is  advisable  to  have  a  bell 
to  notify  crossing  watchmen  of  the  approach  of  the  car. 
When  running  at  night  a  white  light  should  be  placed 
on  the  head  end,  and  a  red  light  on  the  rear  end  of  the 
car. 

When  being  overtaken  by  a  following  train,  the  car 

253 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

should  be  taken  off  the  track  at  once.  It  is  dangerous 
to  try  to  keep  the  lead — the  engine  may  fail  and  acci- 
dents result. 

Starting  Motor  Cars  in  Cold  Weather — It  is  harder  to 
start  motor  cars  in  the  winter  because  the  gas  is  devapor- 
ized  by  the  cold  cylinder  walls.  With  a  water  cooled 
engine,  boiling  hot  water  may  be  put  in  the  water  jacket, 
a  most  effective  way  of  rapidly  heating  the  engine.  The 
carburetor  may  be  heated  with  a  bag  of  warm  sand 
or  with  warm  water,  but  fire  should  not  be  used  if  some 
other  method  of  heating  can  be  employed. 

A  half  thimble  full  of  gasoline  should  be  placed  in  each 
priming  cup,  which  should  then  be  closed.  The  carbu- 
retor should  be  flushed  or  flooded  with  the  plunger,  and 
the  engine  will  then  start  if  the  crank  shaft  is  revolved. 
The  gasoline  should  be  turned  on,  the  switches  closed 
and  the  throttle  opened  before  starting  the  engine. 
Special  gasoline  of  62  to  64  degrees  Baume  should  be 
purchased  for  priming  purposes. 

The  preceding  relates  to  starting  4-cycle  engines.  With 
a  2-cycle  engine  the  lubricating  oil  can  be  warmed  thor- 
oughly, mixed  with  the  gasoline,  and  then  placed  in  the 
gas  tank,  thus  warming  the  gasoline  so  that  the  engine 
can  be  started  easily. 

Water  is  likely  to  freeze  in  the  low  points  of  the  car- 
buretor or  pipe  connections  and  stop  the  flow  of  gasoline. 
To  determine  whether  this  has  happened  the  carburetor 
should  be  flooded,  and  if  no  gas  is  generated  heat  should 
be  applied  to  the  low  point  in  the  carburetor  or  the  pipe, 
which  is  probably  frozen. 

If  the  car  has  a  free  running  engine  it  can  be  started 
in  the  section  house.  With  a  direct  connected  engine 
the  drive  wheel  should  be  lifted  up  and  a  box  placed 

254 


TRACK    MATERIAL,    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

under  one  end  of  the  car  so  that  it  can  be  started  in  the 
section  house. 

Causes  of  Trouble  With  Motor  Cars— C.  B.  Skelton, 
motor  car  inspector  on  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul,  gives  the  following  suggestions  for  operation  of 
motor  cars : 

"See  that  the  working  parts  of  engines  are  kept  clean 
at  all  times,  especially  the  timer,  contact  points,  chains, 
spark  plugs,  valves  and  piston  rings.  The  latter  may  be 
easily  cleaned  by  using  kerosene  in  the  engines.  In  addi- 
tion, see  that  all  wires  are  fastened  securely  at  the  ter- 
minals and  that  insulation  is  in  good  shape. 

"A  great  many  times  a  foreman  will  have  the  spark 
plugs  cleaned  and  will  not  test  them  before  having  them 
replaced  in  the  cylinders.  This  should  always  be  done. 

"If  a  spark  is  not  perceptible  something  is  wrong;  the 
plug  is  grounded  either  through  the  porcelain  member 
or  through  the  insulation.  Possibly  the  current  is  jump- 
ing through  the  wiring  at  some  point  and  not  reaching 
the  plug.  In  a  case  of  this  kind  another  plug  should  be 
tried,  to  make  sure  just  where  the  trouble  lies. 

"Spark  coil  boxes  should  be  protected  from  rain  and 
snow  by  covering  the  box  with  oil  cloth  or  with  some 
other  covering  that  will  keep  the  moisture  out. 

"Spark  coils  are  often  damaged  by  connecting  up  too 
many  batteries  to  the  coil.  Most  coils  are  built  for  6 
volts  on  the  battery  circuit,  or  the  equivalent  of  4  cells 
when  batteries  are  new;  if  more  batteries  are  added  the 
voltage  runs  over  6  volts,  not  only  wearing  out  the 
vibrator  points  very  rapidly,  but  very  often  burning  the 
coil  insulation,  putting  it  out  of  service. 

"When  coils  become  worn  out  or  it  is  found  that  they 
do  not  work  properly,  the  foremen  should  not  undertake 

255 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

to  make  the  repairs  themselves,  as  the  instruments  are 
very  delicate,  but  should  send  the  coils  to  the  general 
storekeeper  under  registered  baggage  for  repairs ;  and  in 
each  case  the  roadmaster  should  make  requisition  for  the 
repairs  and  show  the  registered  tag  number  on  the  requisi- 
tion. 

"Carburetors  should  also  be  handled  in  this  way  and 
should  never  be  shipped  to  the  general  storekeeper  by 
freight,  for  these  parts  cost  considerable  money  and  are 
often  lost  or  stolen  when  shipped  in  this  way.  Under  no 
circumstances  should  foremen  keep  extra  spark  coils  or 
carburetors  in  tool  houses  for  emergencies,  but  on  receipt 
of  a  new  carburetor  coil  should  immediately  ship  the  old 
one  to  the  general  storekeeper  under  registered  baggage 
and  advise  him  so  that  he  will  know  who  it  is  from. 

"When  it  is  found  necessary  to  order  new  parts  for 
motor  cars,  the  foreman  should  first  go  through  his  cat- 
alogue and  obtain  the  correct  symbol  number  of  the  part 
he  desires,  then  advise  the  roadmaster  of  the  part  num- 
ber of  the  motor  car.  If  the  foremen  will  follow  these 
instructions,  it  will  save  the  storekeeper  and  others  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  and  will  eliminate  a  great  many 
delays  which  are  caused  by  the  wrong  part  being 
ordered." 

It  is  not  possible,  in  limited  space,  to  give  a  com- 
plete description  of  track  tools  and  appliances,  but  there 
are  some  things  which,  on  account  of  their  effect  on 
maintenance,  deserve  special  mention.  The  Appendix 
contains  illustrated  descriptions  of  several  such  aids  to 
practical  track  maintenance. 


256 


APPENDIX. 
LABOR  SAVING  TOOLS  AND  APPLIANCES. 

The  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher — "Water  is  the  track's 
worst  enemy,  and  the  further  it  is  kept  away  from  the 
track,  the  better."  This  quotation  is  from  the  pen  of  a 
trackman  of  wide  experience  who  was  writing  on  the 


Marion  Ditcher  Widening  a  Cut,  Using  a  Train  of  Flats. 

subject  of  general  maintenance.  He  wras  one  of  the 
trackmen  who  realized  that  drainage  is  the  primary 
factor  in  good  track  maintenance.  While  trackmen  as 
a  class  have  realized  this  for  years,  they  have  been  un- 

257 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

able  in  a  great  many  cases  to  obtain  the  consent  of 
higher  officials  to  change  and  better  drainage  condi- 
tions, as  it  usually  meant  an  increased  initial  cost. 
There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  better  drainage — drain- 
age that  will  make  the  subgrade  dry — will  so  decrease 
the  cost  of  track  maintenance  that  the  expenditure  will 


Marion  Ditcher  Ditching  a  Wet  Cut. 

almost  immediately  be  highly  repaid,  and  continue  there- 
after as  a  very  profitable  permanent  investment. 

The  subject  of  drainage  in  cuts  is  being  gone  into 
more  extensively  every  year,  and  the  necessity  for  hav- 
ing good  surface  ditches  is  being  emphasized  more  and 
more.  The  scarcity  of  labor  is  leading  railroad  officials 
to  consider  carefully,  first,  the  big  advantage  of  re- 
placing hand  by  machine  labor  generally;  and,  second, 
the  great  saving  in  cost,  the  great  increase  in  possible 

258 


LABOR   SAVING   TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 


quantity  of  work,  and  the  great  improvement  in  the 
drainage  which  can  be  effected  by  replacing  hand  labor 
with  a  ditching  machine. 

Even  in  dry  cuts,  a  saving  can  be  shown  over  the  cost 
of  hand  labor.  But  it  is  in  wet  cuts  where  the  maximum 
advantage  of  the  ditcher  is  seen.  In  such  cuts  it  is 


Marion  Ditcher  Loading  Dump  Car. 

almost  impossible  to  take  out  the  material  by  hand, 
and  there  are  few  laborers  who  will  stay  at  such  work. 
Furthermore,  the  cost  of  handling  the  wet  material  is 
very  high,  much  higher  than  that  of  handling  dry  ma- 
terial, because  the  mud  sticks  to  the  shovels  and  the 
footing  for  the  laborers  is  slippery  and  insecure..  The 
conditions,  in  fact,  are  so  disagreeable  that  the  men 

259 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 

and  foremen,  and  all  those  concerned  with  the  work 
are  inclined  to  shirk  it.  Yet  such  cuts  need  ditching 
worse  than  any  others.  The  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher 
has  no  respect  for  materials.  It  loads  sand,  dry  earth, 
earth  or  muck  with  equal  facility.  It  will  not  complain 
like  a  gang  of  laborers,  nor  will  it  refuse  to  work  when 
particularly  nasty  conditions  are  encountered.  In  fact, 
it  is  just  as  easy,  if  not  easier  for  a  Marion  Railroad 
Ditcher  to  do  work  in  a  wet  cut  as  in  a  dry  cut. 
The  use  of  a  machine  for  this  purpose  eliminates  the 
labor  problem  entirely,  with  all  of  its  worries  and  un- 
certainties. 

The  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher  is  in  effect  a  light  steam 
shovel,  mounted  on  a  portable  track,  usually  on  a  train 
of  flat  cars.  The  Ditcher  loads  the  material,  which  it 
takes  out  of  the  ditch,  directly  onto  flat  cars,  moving 
backwards  under  its  own  power  as  the  cars  become 
loaded.  In  this  way  it  loads  the  entire  train  of  flats, 
which  are  then  hauled  away  and  plowed  off.  The 
Ditcher  is  left  on  an  empty  flat  car,  switched-in  at  the 
end  of  another  empty  train,  and  the  process  is  repeated. 

The  Ditcher  moves  backwards  on  short  sections  of 
track,  similar  to  those  used  for  moving  the  steam  shovel 
in  a  gravel  pit.  These  short  sections  can  be  handled 
by  the  Ditcher  itself,  which  dispenses  with  the  services 
of  the  three  or  four  trackmen  who  ordinarily  move  the 
short  sections  of  track  on  the  flat  cars.  The  Ditcher 
can  do  as  much  work,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  as 
a  great  number  of  men. 

In  places  where  the  distance  between  the  cuts  and  the 
dump  is  not  over  two  and  one-half  or  three  miles,  the 
Marion  Railroad  Ditcher  may  be  profitably  used  with 
dump  cars,  which  dispenses  with  the  extra  equipment 

260 


LABOR   SAVING   TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

necessary  for  plowing-off  flats.  With  the  flat  car  train 
there  are  required  a  number  of  flat  cars,  a  like  num- 
ber of  sheet-iron  aprons  to  place  between  the  flat  cars, 
an  unloader,  a  car  for  the  unloader,  a  Marion  Ballast 
Plow,  and  a  cable,  in  addition  to  the  Ditcher  and  the 
locomotive,  while  with  the  dump  car  train,  all  that  is 





Marion  Ditcher  With  Dump  Car  Train. 

required  is  two  air-dump  cars,  one  flat  car,  a  Ditcher 
and  a  locomotive.  The  Ditcher  is  placed  on  a  flat  car 
between  the  dump  cars,  and  one  of  the  dump  cars  is 
loaded  without  moving  the  Ditcher.  The  Ditcher  is 
then  moved  backwards  to  the  other  end  of  the  flat  car, 
where  it  loads  the  second  dump  car.  After  this,  the 
train  is  moved  to  the  dumping  place,  and  the  cars  are 
dumped. 

When  using  a  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher  in  this  way, 

261 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

only  one  man  is  required  with  it.  The  operator  does 
the  firing  while  the  train  is  on  the  way  to  and  from 
the  dumping  place,  and  is  then  free  to  operate  the 
Ditcher  when  the  train  is  in  the  cut. 

The  cost  of  ditching  with  dump  cars  can  be  still  fur- 
ther reduced  where  the  haul  is  short.  The  locomotive  is 
placed  on  the  end  of  the  train  toward  the  dumping 
place,  and  can  take  the  first  car  out  and  dump  it  while 
the  Ditcher  is  loading  the  second  car.  When  the  loco- 
motive returns  the  first  dump  car  is  again  loaded,  and 
the  train,  now  consisting  of  two  loaded  dump  cars  and 
the  Ditcher,  is  again  taken  out  and  the  cars  dumped. 
This  keeps  the  Ditcher  working  during  one  run  of  the 
locomotive  to  the  dump,  and  saves  that  much  time  dur- 
ing which  it  would  otherwise  be  idle.  This  method  can 
be  used  where  the  haul  is  not  much  over  a  mile  and  one- 
half. 

The  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher  is  made  the  same  as  a 
Marion  Steam  Shovel,  throughout.  In  fact,  it  can  be 
used  as  a  steam  shovel,  operating  either  on  short  sec- 
tions of  track  or  on  traction  wheels  as  desired.  The 
Ditcher  is  equipped  with  independent  boom  engines, 
which  make  possible  its  digging  either  above  or  below 
an  established  grade  line.  This  feature  alone  works  to 
splendid  advantage  in  a  great  many  ways.  For  ex- 
ample, if  a  boulder  or  large  stump  is  encountered  in  the 
ditching,  the  Ditcher  may  dig  down  deeper  at  that  point, 
and  undermine  the  boulder  or  the  stump,  and  thus  get  it 
out  of  the  ditch.  The  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher  employs 
the  same  crowding  motion  (by  means  of  independent 
boom  engines)  which  makes  the  standard  type  of  steam 
shovel  so  effective.  Since  the  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher 


LABOR   SAVING   TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

is  a  standard  machine,  spare  and  repair  parts  may  be 
had  promptly  from  stock. 

Besides  doing  ditching,  the  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher 
can  be  used  for  many  kinds  of  work  in  building  and 
maintaining  track.  With  a  chain,  it  can  be  used  to 
remove  stumps  and  boulders,  after  undermining  them, 
and  it  is  especially  well  adapted  to  grading  work, 
whether  it  is  desired  to  load  the  material  onto  the  cars 
or  deposit  it  alongside.  In  emergencies,  the  Marion 
Railroad  Ditcher  can  be  used  as  a  crane  for  handling 
ties  and  rail.  It  can  be  used  either  for  handling  old 
rails,  or  for  placing  them  in  position  on  the  grade. 

In  emergency  or  speed-up  work  the  Marion  Railroad 
Ditcher  is  especially  valuable.  Where  slides  are  likely 
to  occur,  they  can  be  cleared  up  at  least  expense,  and 
what  is  usually  more  important,  in  the  least  time  by 
a  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher.  Slides  occur  in  wet  cuts, 
often,  and  if  hand  labor  is  depended  upon,  cause  ex- 
pensive delays  to  traffic.  Wet  material  cannot  be 
quickly  dug  out  and  loaded  by  a  gang  of  laborers,  and 
as  the  slide  is  usually  more  extensive  at  one  point  than 
another,  it  is  generally  impossible  to  get  enough  men 
around  such  points  to  clear  the  whole  thing  tip  at  once. 
With  the  great  capacity  of  the  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher, 
and  the  fact  that  it  handles  either  wet  or  dry  materials, 
it  is  especially  fitted  to  cleaning  up  slides  and  for  use  in 
other  emergency  work.  The  Marion  Railroad  Ditcher  is 
manufactured  by  The  Marion  Steam  Shovel  Company, 
of  Marion,  Ohio. 

Abernathy  Cattle  Guard. — Commercially,  there  are 
three  kinds  of  cattle  guards  in  use — the  metal  surface 
guard,  the  wooden  slat  guard,  and  the  old-fashioned  pit 
guard.  While  the  pit  guard  is  possibly  the  best  for 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 


stopping  stock,  the  cost  is  high  and  the  pit  is  dangerous 
to  traffic,  while  the  support  of  the  track  is  a  difficult 
matter. 

Wooden  slats  are  the  oldest  and  best-known  guard, 
but  they  are  ineffective.  Their  life  is  short  and  they 
must  be  painted  frequently.  The  metal  surface  cattle 


Abernathy  Metal  Cattle  Guard. 

guard  is  the  cheapest  in  the  long  run,  and  is  more  likely 
to  stop  stock  and  hogs  than  the  other  types  of  guards. 
The  principle  underlying  the  Abernathy  metal  guard 
is  that  an  animal,  when  it  feels  the  sting  of  a  barbed- 
wire  fence  will  hold  aloof.  For  the  same  reason,  when 
cattle  feel  the  sting  of  the  Abernathy  cattle  guard's 
teeth,  they  will  keep  off  the  right-of-way.  With  this 

264 


LABOR   SAVING   TOOLS   AND   APPLIANCES 

guard,  there  is  less  metal  exposed  to  brine  drippings 
than  with  other  types. 

The  construction  is  very  simple,  and  this  makes  it  pos- 
sible to  manufacture  it  at  low  cost.  The  cattle  guard 
consists  of  a  series  of  parallel  metal  plates,  with  notched 
teeth  in  the  top.  The  notched  teeth  are  bent  in  alternate 
directions.  The  longitudinal  toothed  plates  are  mounted 
on  y2  in.  by  27  in.  bolts,  with  spacers  between.  The 
installation  is  easily  made  by  a  couple  of  men  in  a  half 
hour.  The  Abernathy  Cattle  Guard  is  sold  by  the 
Abernathy  Cattle  Guard  Company,  of  Birmingham,  Ala. 

Imperial  Pneumatic  Tie  Tamper — The  substitution  of 
machine  labor  for  hand  work,  so  common  in  American 
industries,  has  reached  the  railways  last.  This  is  par- 
tially due  to  the  nature  of  railway  work  which  demands 
great  flexibility  in  any  power  device,  and  this  is  espe- 
cially true  of  track  work. 

The  most  necessary  thing  in  any  power  driven  appli- 
ance for  use  on  track,  is  that  it  be  easily  portable  and  that 
the  method  of  applying  the  power  be  flexible.  This  is 
because  the  work  on  track  must  be  scattered  over  miles 
of  territory,  only  a  small  amount  of  work  being  done  at 
one  particular  point.  One  of  the  most  flexible  power 
transmissions  is  compressed  air  and  it  is  natural  that  this 
should  be  used  in  machines  for  doing  track  work. 

Power  transmitted  by  compressed  air  has  been  adapted 
to  the  work  of  tamping  ties,  by  the  Imperial  Tie  Tamp- 
ing Machine,  being  marketed  by  the  Ingersoll-Rand 
Company,  New  York.  The  New  York  Central  Rail- 
road has  been  using  a  great  many  of  these  compressed 
air  plants  and  pneumatic  tie  tampers. 

The  principal  advantage  claimed  for  the  Imperial  Tie 
Tamping  Machine,  is  the  great  speed  with  which  the 

265 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 


work  can  be  done,  two  men  tamping  from  350  to  450 
feet  of  track  per  day,  or  about  as  much  as  10  men  can 
do  with  ordinary  tamping  bars  or  picks. 

The  Railway  Age  Gazette  of  March  12,  1915,  gave 
some  costs  of  work  with  one  of  these  pneumatic  tie- 
tamping  machines.  One  unit,  consisting  of  a  compressor 
and  two  machines,  was  worked  continually  through  one 
season  and  a  record  kept  of  its  performance  and  cost 


Imperial  Tie  Tamping-  Machine  Carrying  Men  to  Work. 

of  operation.  The  averages  compiled  showed  that  two 
men  could  tamp  300  ties  a  day  and  that  the  cost  of 
tamping  was  2fc  per  tie,  as  compared  with  10  to  20c 
by  hand  tamping.  The  machine  does  the  work  faster, 
more  cheaply,  and  with  better  and  more  uniform  re- 
sults than  hand  labor.  Further,  the  pneumatic  tamper 
can  be  used  around  frogs,  switches  and  crossings,  or 
mechanical  interlocking  connections,  where  it  is  difficult 
to  work  with  a  tamping  bar. 

266 


LABOR   SAVING   TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

Some  tests  were  made  on  the  increased  stability  of 
track  on  two  800-ft.  sections  located  where  the  founda- 
tion is  soft  and  maintenance  difficult.  The  two  sections 
of  track  were  tamped,  one  by  hand  and  one  by  machine, 
and  not  tamped  again  for  six  months.  At  the  end  of  the 
test,  the  maximum  settlement  in  the  first  track  was 
.116  feet,  and  in  the  machine-tamped  track,  .063  feet. 
The  average  settlements  were  .067  feet  and  .033  feet, 
respectively,  or  about  one-half  as  much  with  the  ma- 
chine as  with  the  hand-tamped  track. 


Imperial  Tie  Tamping  Machine  on  Timber  Foundation,  Ready  for 
Tamping  Ties. 

The  compressed  air  for  this  machine  can  be  taken 
from  existing  electro-pneumatic  lines,  or  supplied  by  an 
Ingersoll-Rand  Imperial  Type  XII  Air  Compressor 
direct-connected  to  a  12-hp.  gasoline  engine.  The  whole 
outfit  is  mounted  on  a  short  flat-car  driven  by  the  gaso- 
line engine,  fitted  with  cross  trucks  having  double 
flanged  wheels,  so  that  the  car  may  be  removed  easily 
or  replaced  on  the  track  by  four  men. 

When  the  car  reaches  the  place  of  work  it  is  raised  up  on 

267 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

each  side  and  short  pieces  of  timber  are  placed  under  the 
double  flanged  wheels,  after  which  the  car  is  run  along 
these  timbers  off  to  one  side  of  the  track  and  onto  a  per- 
manent foundation  of  timbers  previously  prepared. 

The  supply  hose  for  the  tampers  is  three-fourths  in.  in 
diameter  and  is  supplied  in  lengths  up  to  600  ft.  Ordi- 
narily two  tampers  work  together  on  opposite  sides  of 


Men   at   Work   With   Imperial   Tie   Tamping   Tools. 

the  tie  in  the  same  way  as  when  doing  the  work  by  hand. 

The  tamper  is  made  with  a  short  stroke,  so  that  there 
is  very  little  jar;  it  weighs  37^  Ib.  The  compressor 
outfits  are  furnished  in  two-tool  and  four-tool  capacities. 

The  pneumatic  tampers  were  assigned  to  a  regular  sec- 
tion gang  on  the  main  line  while  spacing  ties  on  a  high- 
speed track.  Ten  men  were  used  in  the  following  man- 
ner: The  stone  was  first  removed  to  within  lj£  in. 

268 


LABOR   SAVING   TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

of  the  bottom  of  the  tie  for  a  distance  covering  a  week's 
work  for  the  gang.  The  foreman  and  six  men  then 
raised  the  track  and  spaced  the  ties,  put  in  new  ones, 
applied  tie  plates,  gauged  and  surfaced  the  track.  Three 
men  followed  with  the  pneumatic  tie  tampers,  tamped 
every  tie  and  back-filled  track.  The  ties  were  tamped 
outside  and  under  the  rail  by  the  machine,  and  spade- 
tamped  inside  the  rail.  The  daily  average  was  15  rails, 
but  being  employed  by  a  regular  section  gang,  the  ma- 
chine was  in  use  only  5  days  a  week. 

In  the  first  part  of  the  test  a  light  lift  was  made  which 
did  not  require  any  spade  tamping.  In  the  second  part, 
a  lift  of  3  in.  was  made  which  required  spade  tamping 
to  hold  the  track  up  for  the  tamping  machines.  The 
costs  obtained  in  this  test  follow : 

FIRST    PART. 

Foreman's  supervision.  3  hrs.  at  23c $       .69 

3  men  9  hrs.  per  day,  27  hrs.  at  17c 4.59 

1  1/9  gal.  gasoline  per  hr..  10  gal.  at  12c 1.20 

2/9  pt.  engine  oil  per  hr..  2  pts.  at  5c .10 

Yz  pt.  compressor  oil  pt  5c 03 

Actual  cost  tamping  ties,  per  day 6.61 

300  ties  tamped— cost  oer  tie 022 

Cost  of  time  spent  going  to  and  coming  from  tool  house         .51 

Total  cost  $     7.1 2 

Ties  tamped  300 — cost  per  tie 0237 

MACHINE  AND  HAND  TAMPING  COMPARED. 

By  Hand. 

Gang,  10  men  and  foreman,  per  day $  19.80 

Tamp  mile  in  13^  days 264.00 

By  Machine. 

Gang  3  men.  supervision  and  supplies $     7.12 

Tamp  mile  in  10^  days 75.95 

Difference  in  favor  of  machine  tamped  track  per  mile 188.05 

SECOND   PART. 

Cost  of  Tamping  Ties,  Including  Spade  Tamping  and  Over- 
head Charges: 

Foreman's  supervision,  3  hrs.  at  23c $0.69 

3  men  9  hrs.  per  day,  27  hrs.  at  17c 4.59 

1  1/9  gal.  gasoline  per  hr.,  10  gals,  at  12c 1.20 

269 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 


2/9  pt.  engine  oil  per  hr.,  2  pts.  at  5c 10 

YZ   pt.   compressor   oil   at   5c 03 

Overhead  charges  (including  repairs) 1.80 

3  men  2  hrs.  per  day  spade  tamping,  6  hrs.  at  17c 1.02 

Cost  per  day 9.43 

Ties  tamped  300 — cost  per  tie 0314 

Cost  of  time  spent  going  to  and  coming  from  tool  house 51 


Total  cost  $9.94 

Ties  tamped  300 — cost  per  tie 0331 

MACHINE    AND    HAND    TAMPING    COMPARED. 

By  Hand. 

Gang,  10  men  and  foreman,  per  day $  19.80 

Tamp  1  mile  in  13  J^  days 264.00 

By  Machine  (including  repairs). 

Gang  3  men  (supervision,  supplies  and  repairs) $     9.94 

Tamp  mile  in  10^3  days 106.03 

Difference  in  favor  of  machine  tamped  track  per  mile 157.97 

Barrett  Track  Jacks — Realizing  the  dependability  of 
the  genuine  Barrett  Track  Jack  for  easy  operation,  quick 
lift,  safety  and  durability,  the  Duff  Mfg.  Co.,  of  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.,  has  held  to  this  type  of  track  jack,  but  added 
many  new  styles  and  improvements.  The  movements  are 
«w  easy  and  positive  and  the  jack  can 

be   dropped   instantly   by   means   of 
g  _  the  trip. 

•f"^        j^          The  No.   1   Track  Jack,   10  tons' 

W^tidSf         capacity  (re-designed  and  improved) 

"PSr  has    a    comP°und    leverage    and    is 

gSr  double-acting,  raising  the  load  half 

a  notch  on   the  upward  as  well  as 

the  downward  stroke  of  the  lever. 

("fil  The  load  can  be  instantly  dropped 

^^^^^L  by  means  of  the  trip  at  the  side  of 

^^^^0^  the  lever  socket.    It  is  equipped  also 

with   an   improved    emergency   trip, 

Barrett  Improved   No.    1  ,  .    . 

Track  Jack.  ancl  contains  an  improved  one-piece 

steel    socket    lever    which    can    be 

quickly  repaired  in  the  field,  and  which  also  eliminates  the 

270 


LABOR   SAVING   TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

side  plates  formerly  used.  It  is  enclosed  in  grease-packed 
steel  bushings — an  added  improvement. 

The  Barrett  Track  Jack  No.  7  is  a  single-acting,  one- 
man  track  jack  of  15  tons'  capacity.  It  has  been  designed 
in  response  to  a  demand  for  a  heavy  track  jack  of  medium 
height  and  raise,  which  can  be  handled  by  one  man.  Dur- 
ing times  of  labor  shortage,  or  on  track  gangs  which  are 
limited  to  a  very  few  men,  this  jack  is  exceptionally  eco- 
nomical. Contains  the  same  improved  features  described 
above  in  the  No.  1.  This  company  also  makes  many  other 
sizes  of  track  jacks  for  every  track  requirement. 

Tranco-Duplex  Tie  Tongs — Ever  since  the  scarcity  of 
tie  timber  began  to  be  felt  and  the  preservative  treat- 
ment of  ties  began  to  attract  attention,  there  has  been  a 
feeling  that  ties  should  be  handled  carefully,  whether 
handled  in  material  yards,  unloading,  or  pulling  them 
into  the  track,  so  that  no  holes  may  be  left  in  them  to 
collect  moisture,  which  promotes  decay. 

Even  from  the  standpoint  of  appearance,  unsightly 
pick  holes  or  shovel  holes  in  ties  are  undesirable.  Fur- 
thermore, the  use  of  such  tools  (not  being  adapted  to 
the  work  of  handling  ties)  means  that  the  ties  are  not 
being  handled  as  cheaply  nor  as  easily  as  they  might  be 
with  tools  designed  for  the  purpose.  When  using  picks  to 
drag  ties  into  track  it  is  frequently  necessary  for  the  track 
men  to  take  several  new  holds  because  the  pick  slips 
out.  This  of  course  increases  the  number  of  holes  left 
in  the  tie  and  in  addition  is  dangerous  because  when  the 
pick  slips,  the  track  man  is  likely  to  fall  over  backwards. 
If  he  is  not  injured,  he  is  at  least  likely  to  work  more 
carefully,  and  thus  more  slowly,  in  order  not  to  injure 
himself.  When  carrying  ties  it  is  the  practice  of  track- 
men to  knock  the  handles  out  of  picks  and  then  carry 

271 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

them,  three  men  to  a  tie.  This  is  an  awkward  process, 
as  the  man  at  the  rear  must  raise  the  tie  up  before  the 
pick  handle  can  be  placed  under  it  by  the  two  men  at  the 
front,  and  all  of  these  extra  motions 
take  time.  All  of  these  objections 
to  handling  ties  with  picks  and 
shovels  apply  alike  to  treated  and  un- 
treated ties. 

With  creosoted  or  chemically- 
treated  ties,  laborers  object  strenu- 
ously to  handling  them  and  getting 
the  oil  or  chemical  all  over  their 
hands  and  clothes.  Then,  too,  the 
oiled  ties  are  slippery  and  hard  to 
handle  in  this  manner.  Naturally 
when  doing  disagreeable  work  of  this 
kind  the  track  men  do  not  attempt  to 
accomplish  as  much  as  when  working 
under  favorable  conditions. 

The  Tranco-Duplex  Tie  Toiig,  il- 
lustrated   herewith,    is    one    of    the 
Tranco  -  Duplex     T  i  e     simplest    and    most    ingenious    com- 
TnggoraDrJaS|gingr  Ties"      kination  tools  that  has  ever  been  de- 
signed  for  track  work.     By  simply 

turning  the  tongs  over  they  are  changed  from  pulling 
or  dragging  tongs  into  carrying  tongs.  They  can  be 
used  by  the  track  men  for  handling  ties  under  any 
conditions  which  may  arise.  The  points  make  hardly 
any  impression  in  the  ties,  whether  used  in  pulling  or 
carrying.  In  addition  to  making  the  work  easier,  these 
tie  tongs  make  it  absolutely  unnecessary  for  the  laborer 
ever  to  touch  either  a  treated  or  an  untreated  tie  with 
his  hands. 

272 


LABOR   SAVING   TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 


When  pulling  ties  into  track  there  is  no  danger  of  the 
tie  tongs  slipping.  When  carrying  ties  the  two  laborers 
in  front  simply  pick  up  the  tie  and  no  time  is  wasted  in 
knocking  a  handle  out  of  a  pick  or  in  getting  the  pick 
handle  under  the  tie.  With  one  end  dragging,  as  illus- 


Tranco-Duplex  Tie  Tongs  as  Used  for  Carrying  Ties. 

trated,  two  men  can  handle  the  tie  just  as  well  as  three, 
so  that  one  laborer  is  eliminated,  in  addition  to  the  work 
being  done  much  faster. 

Tranco-Duplex  Tie  Tongs,  used  for  both  carrying  ties 
and  pulling  them  into  track,  are  sold  by  the  Track  Neces- 
sities Company,  Chicago. 

273 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

The  Marion  Steam  Shovel — It  hardly  seems  necessary 
to  say  that  the  steam  shovel  is  the  most  essential  part  of 
the  gravel  pit  equipment.  When  a  steam  shovel  is  load- 
ing material — from  two  to  three  cubic  yards  at  a  clip — the 
shovel  is  making  money  and  making  it  fast. 

And,  by  the  same  token,  when  a  shovel  is  held  up  and  is 
not  loading  ballast,  it  is  losing  money  just  as  fast  because 
it  is  not  producing.  Furthermore,  the  overhead  expense, 
including  the  wages  of  the  employees  on  the  steam  shovel, 
employees  on  track  work,  the  cost  of  operating  the  loco- 
motive and  cars,  the  wages  of  locomotive  and  train  crews, 
and  the  interest  on  the  investment  in  the  equipment  keep 
right  on  whether  the  shovel  is  working  or  not. 

The  Marion  Steam  Shovel  is  not  only  built  to  with- 
stand the  heavy  service  to  which  it  is  subjected,  but  also 
to  combine  strength  with  simplicity  of  design,  economy 
of  operation,  and  large  capacity. 

All  gears  and  pinions  except  the  dipper-handle  rack- 
ing and  the  shipper-shaft  pinions  are  of  open-hearth  cast 
steel.  The  shipper-shaft  pinions  and  the  dipper-handle 
racking  are  of  manganese  steel,  as  are  also  the  wearing 
parts  of  the  dipper.  All  bearings  which  are  subjected  to 
heavy  strain  are  phosphor  bronze  bushed.  The  Marion 
Boom  and  also  the  Dipper-Handle  are  of  the  combina- 
tion type,  oak,  armored  with  steel.  Such  construction  in- 
sures strength  and  maximum  resiliency. 

A  great  deal  of  painstaking  research  has  been  made  in 
the  manufacture  of  Marion  Steam  Shovels.  Each  part 
is  designed  and  built  with  a  view  to  the  particular  service 
it  will  be  put  to.  Experiments  in  the  company's  labora- 
tories are  made  to  show  what  methods  of  annealing  cast- 
ings, for  example,  will  suit  them  to  the  service  they  are 
intended  to  render.  Furthermore,  all  parts  are  thoroughly 

274 


LABOR   SAVING    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

inspected  during  the  course  of  manufacture  and  assembly. 
Such  precautions  as  these  assure  the  users  of  Marion 
Shovels  a  steady,  dependable  performance. 

And  the  facts  are  that  Marion  Shovels  are  giving  their 
users  a  really  efficient  service.  The  severe  work  to  which 
they  are  often  subjected,  and  their  large  capacity,  has 


Marion  Steam  Shovel  in  Gravel  Pit. 

made  them  a  standard  among  railway  users,  both  here 
and  abroad. 

Recognizing,  however,  that  in  the  handling  of  a  ma- 
chine which  is  subjected  to  such  severe  service,  repair 
parts  are  likely  to  be  needed,  the  repair  service  for  Marion 
Shovels  has  been  developed  to  a  point  of  high  efficiency. 
The  company  realizes  that  when  a  shovel  is  held  up,  re- 

275 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

pair  parts  are  needed,  and  needed  quickly,  and  it  accord- 
ingly sees  to  it  that  they  are  supplied  without  delay. 

Another  repairs  feature  is  that  all  parts  are  made  from 
jigs  and  templates,  so  that  Marion  Repairs  always  fit — an 
advantage  which  can  be  appreciated  only  by  those  who 
have  had  experience  trying  to  make  some  repair  parts  fit. 
The  time  it  usually  takes  to  get  repair  parts  for  any 
Marion  Shovel  depends  only  on  the  time  it  will  take  the 
transportation  company  to  get  it  from  the  factory  to  the 
place  where  it  is  needed. 

Strength,  capacity,  economy  and  service  are  the  four 
proven  advantages  of  Marion  Shovels.  They  are  manu- 
factured by  the  Marion  Steam  Shovel  Co.,  of  Marion, 
Ohio. 

The  Fairmont  Hand  Car  Engine — Every  foreman  who 
is  interested  in  his  own  advancement  is  looking  for  meth- 
ods and  appliances  which  will  help  him  do  his  work  in 
less  time,  which  will  enable  him  to  do  more  work  and 
put  his  track  in  better  condition,  and  thus  attract  the 
favorable  attention  of  higher  officials.  In  just  what  way 
does  the  use  of  a  motor  car  help  such  a  man? 

First,  the  use  of  a  motor  car  gives  the  track  gang  from 
an  hour  to  an  hour  and  a  half  more  time  on  actual  track 
work  during  every  working  day.  This  makes  it  possible 
for  the  track  foreman  to  greatly  increase  the  amount  of 
work  accomplished,  and  the  extra  time  which  can  be 
spent  on  his  track  soon  shows  in  the  track's  improved 
condition. 

Secondly,  the  use  of  a  motor  car  enables  the  track  gang 
to  start  work  in  an  alert,  refreshed  condition,  not  tired 
from  a  long,  dragging  pump  on  the  hand  car.  Naturally, 
this  means  an  increased  production  from  the  track  gang 
per  hours  of  time  worked.  Thus  the  foreman  is  enabled 

276 


LABOR    SAVING    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

by  the  use  of  a  motor  car  not  only  to  get  in  more  hours 
on  actual  work,  but  to  obtain  a  greater  average  of  work 
per  hour. 

Thirdly,  equipping  a  section  with  a  motor  car  enables 
the  foreman  to  hire  intelligent,  skillful  men — men  who 
will  not  wear  themselves  out  pumping  a  hand  car. 

Making  pleasure  out  of  any  part  of  the  trackman's 


Fairmont  Hand  Car  Outfit. 

work — and  a  motor  car  ride  on  a  crisp  morning  changes 
drudgery  to  pleasure — is  bound  to  make  the  job  appeal 
more  strongly  to  the  prospective  laborer. 

In  fact,  there  is  no  longer  any  question  as  to  the  desir- 
ability of  having  a  good  section  motor  car,  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  track  foreman,  without  considering  the 
interest  of  the  railroad  at  all;  and  a  foreman  who  buys 

277 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 


a  Fairmont  engine  and  puts  it  on  his  old  hand  car  be- 
comes much  more  valuable  to  the  company  than  the  fore- 
man who  doesn't.  He  attracts  favorable  attention  to 
himself  in  two  ways :  (1)  by  his  enterprise  and  initiative, 
and  (2)  by  the  marked  improvement  which  shows  in  his 
section  because  of  the  better  work  and  more  work  which 
he  is  obtaining  from  the  same  number  of  men  as  before. 


"4,000  miles  last  year  with  no  repairs." 

Section  motor  cars  made  by  equipping  hand  cars  with 
Fairmont  engines  are  now  so  common  in  most  parts  of 
the  country  that  the  old-style  hand  car  is  considered  a 
mark  of  unprogressiveness.  Over  200  railroad  companies 
have  adopted  the  Fairmont  for  driving  their  section  cars, 
and  on  hundreds  of  other  roads  foremen  are  buying  them 
on  easy  payments.  Since  nearly  all  railroads  now  furnish 
gasoline  and  repairs,  foremen  have  no  expense  above  the 
small  engine  payments,  which  are  soon  completed. 

We  give  below  some  of  the  reasons  why  the  Fairmont 

278 


LABOR    SAVING    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

has  proved  a  most  satisfactory  investment  for  track  fore- 
men :  It  starts  easily  and  runs  well  in  the  coldest  winter 
weather  when  other  cars  are  little  used ;  it  has  a  genuine 
automobile  carburetor  that  keeps  the  engine  running 
right  without  expert  adjustment ;  it  has  no  poppet  cylin- 
der valves  or  complicated  mechanism  to  wear  out  and 


Heavy  Duty  6-hp.  Fairmont  Car. 

give  trouble;  it  uses  less  gasoline,  going  40  miles  on  a 
gallon  where  few  cars  can  make  25;  it  has  so  few  parts 
that  anyone  can  understand  and  run  it;  it  runs  just  as 
well  backward  as  forward,  which  saves  turning  the  car; 
it  can  be  instantly  reversed  without  leaving  the  seat ;  the 
sliding  base  tightens  the  belt  perfectly  without  loss  of 
power  from  an  idler  pulley;  the  engine  runs  smoothly 
no  matter  how  slow  it  is  throttled  down ;  it  pulls  heavier 
loads  on  trailers  than  cars  of  three  times  as  much  rated 

279 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 


horsepower,  and  starts  and  hauls  them  with  the  high- 
speed pulley;  the  castings  are  30%  steel,  twice  as  strong 
as  common  semi-steel,  making  the  engine  more  durable 
and  much  lighter  to  lift  off  the  track;  vibration  and 
shaking  of  the  car,  the  great  fault  of  most  engines,  is 
done  away  with  by  using  two  flywheels,  a  properly  pro- 
portioned bore  and  stroke,  and  light,  finely  balanced 
reciprocating  parts. 


Fairmont  Pulls  Load  and  Men  Easily. 

The  Fairmont  engine  has  an  original  design  fully  pro- 
tected by  many  U.  S.  and  foreign  patents,  which  gives 
an  engine  whose  simplicity,  lightness,  power,  smooth 
running,  and  fuel  economy  are  unequaled.  It  received 
the  highest  award,  a  gold  medal,  for  railway  motor  cars, 
at  the  Panama-Pacific  Exposition,  San  Francisco.  These 
engines  and  cars  are  made  by  the  Fairmont  Gas  Engine 
&  Railway  Motor  Car  Co.,  451  N.  Main  St.,  Fairmont, 
Minn. 

280 


LABOR    SAVING    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 


Ramapo  Automatic  Safety  Switch  Stands — The  main- 
tenance of  large  yards  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  biggest 
problems  which  occur  in  the  track  department.  The 
yard  foreman  must  supervise  a  large  territory  and  must 
have  his  men  scattered  over  all  parts  of  it  in  order  to 
keep  things  in  repair.  A  great  deal  of  trouble  is  caused 
by  switches  being  run  through  by  careless  trainmen  or 
in  some  cases  by  green  switchmen  who  are  not  used  to 
the  appliances. 


STYLE  No.19 


STYLE  No.2O 


Ramapo  Automatic  Safety  Switch  Stands. 

Recently  yard  design  has  undergone  a  change  in  places 
where  land  is  valuable,  and  has  resulted  in  some  rather 
complicated  layouts.  In  some  yards  intermediate 
switches  are  run  off  behind  the  frogs  of  the  ladder 
switches  in  order  to  save  space,  and  this  brings  the  switch 
stands  close  together,  and  frequently  causes  confusion  in 
the  minds  of  the  trainmen,  so  that  the  wrong  switch  is 
thrown. 

281 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

In  a  yard  of  this  kind  which  has  recently  been  taken 
over  by  the  operating  department,  it  is  not  an  extraordi- 
nary occurrence  for  10  or  12  switches  to  be  run  through 
during  one  night.  The  track  foreman,  with  ordinary 
rigid  stands,  will  more  than  have  his  hands  full  the  fol- 
lowing day  in  getting  the  ladder  tracks  in  shape  for  traf- 
fic. Further,  there  is  always  the  chance  that  a  switch 
will  be  run  through  and  not  reported  and  a  following 
train  derailed,  causing  the  additional  expense  of  a  wreck- 
ing crew,  destroying  part  of  the  ladder  track  and  requir- 
ing its  complete  rebuilding,  in  addition  to  blocking  traf- 
fic on  a  good  share  of  the  lead  for  one  or  several  days. 

Ramapo  Automatic  Safety  Switch  Stands  were  de- 
signed to  eliminate  this  trouble.  They  are  made  rigid 
for  hand  operation,  and  the  switchman  can  throw  the 
switch  by  simply  raising  the  handle,  thereby  releasing 
the  spindle  from  the  automatic  mechanism,  but  the  han- 
dle cannot  be  lowered  or  re-locked  until  the  switch  points 
are  fully  thrown  over. 

A  train  or  car  can  trail  a  switch  when  set  wrong  with- 
out breaking  the  switch  points  or  injuring  the  switch 
stand.  The  first  pair  of  wheels  forces  the  switch  points 
open  by  compressing  the  springs  in  the  switch  stand,  and 
when  half-way  thrown,  the  springs  snap  the  points  the 
rest  of  the  way.  The  stand  is  left  locked  in  the  new  posi- 
tion just  as  if  thrown  by  hand,  and  is  again  ready  for 
either  automatic  or  hand  operation.  All  Ramapo  Safety 
Switch  Stands  are  furnished  with  adjustable  throw  and 
adjustable  moving  rods,  unless  otherwise  ordered.  Ad- 
justable switch  rods  are  not  required,  as  either  switch 
point  can  be  adjusted.  The  throw  can  always  be  ad- 

282 


LABOR    SAVING    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

justed  to  suit  that  of  any  switch,  one-half  turn  of  the  eye- 
bolt  crank  effecting  a  throw  of  1/12  of  an  inch.  The  dis- 
tance of  the  stand  from  the  switch  can  be  readily 
adjusted  with  the  adjustable  moving  rod  without  moving 
the  stand  on  the  ties.  With  this  stand  the  points  are 
always  locked  closed  in  either  one  position  or  the  other, 
whether  the  stand  has  been  run  through  or  not. 

With  a  rigid  stand  one  of  the  parts  is  either  broken  or 
the  stand  is  sprung  when  run  through,  so  that  the  switch 
points  are  no  longer  left  in  safe  condition  for  the  follow- 
ing trains. 

With  the  Ramapo  Automatic  Switch  Stand  the  points 
can  never  be  left  in  such  position,  or  affected  by  trains 
running  through  them,  so  that  a  following  train  can  pos- 
sibly be  derailed. 

The  adjustable  switch  stand  and  connecting  rod  should 
be  adjusted  as  follows:  Case  1:  When  the  near  point 
fits  properly  against  the  stock  rail  and  the  far  point 
throws  too  hard,  the  throw  and  also  the  connecting  rod 
should  be  shortened.  Case  2 :  When  the  near  point  fits 
properly  and  the  far  point  does  not  throw  far  enough, 
the  throw  and  the  connecting  rod  should  both  be  length- 
ened. Case  3 :  When  the  far  point  fits  properly  and  the 
near  point  throws  too  hard,  the  throw  should  be  short- 
ened and  the  connecting  rod  lengthened.  Case  4 :  When 
the  far  point  fits  properly  and  the  near  point  does  not 
throw  far  enough,  the  throw  should  be  lengthened  and 
the  connecting  rod  shortened.  Cases  5  and  6 :  When  both 
points  throw  too  hard  or  too  loose,  the  throw7  should  be 
either  shortened  or  lengthened  without  changing  the 
connecting  rod. 

283 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

The  Fairmont  Motor  Car  Discing  Machine — A  good- 
looking  section  helps  both  foreman  and  roadmaster. 
When  good  looks  result  from  necessary  work  which  can 
be  done  by  a  machine  for  almost  nothing,  it  is  certainly 
worth  while  to  push  for  the  adoption  of  such  a  machine. 

The  Fairmont  Motor  Car  Discing  Machine  weeds  and 
dresses  the  shoulder,  working  gravel  up  to  the  ends  of 
the  ties  and  cutting  a  perfectly  straight  grass  line.  It 
does  as  much  of  this  work  in  one  day  as  a  good  track 


Dressing  Shoulders  by  Machinery. 

gang  can  do  in  a  week,  and  leaves  a  finer-looking  job, 
with  the  weeds  thoroughly  uprooted  so  they  will  die. 

Except  during  the  few  weeks  of  weeding,  this  car  can 
be  used  by  bridge  or  extra  gangs  for  heavy  hauling,  as 
the  disc  attachments  are  easily  removed,  leaving  a  power- 
ful two-speed  motor  car  that  will  run  20  miles  per  hour. 
It  is  equipped  with  a  6-hp.  Fairmont  engine  and  made  by 
the  Fairmont  Gas  Engine  &  Railway  Motor  Car  Co., 
451  N.  Main  St.,  Fairmont,  Minn. 

Fairmont  Motor  Car  Mowing  Machine — Mowing  the 
right-of-way  constitutes  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
summer  and  fall  work  of  the  track  gang,  and  any  ap- 

284 


LABOR    SAVING    TOOLS    AND    APPLIANCES 

pliance  which  will  make  it  possible  to  do  this  work  more 
quickly,  and  at  a  less  expenditure  of  labor  energy,  will 
result  in  the  track  forces  being  kept  on  track  work  proper 
a  greater  portion  of  the  time. 

The  Fairmont  Motor  Car  Mowing  Machine  has  been 
designed  for  this  purpose.  It  will  cut  a  maximum  of 
twenty-five  miles  of  shoulder  weeds  in  a  day,  at  a  cost 
of  about  $9.00  for  wages,  gasoline  and  oil.  Furthermore, 


Cutting  South  Dakota  Sunflowers. 

it  cuts  the  weeds  next  to  the  shoulder,  where  it  would 
be  almost  impossible  for  a  horse-drawn  mowing  machine 
to  do  the  work — a  place  where  even  if  ordinary  cutting 
machines  were  hired,  the  track  forces  would  have  to  cut 
with  scythes.  With  one  of  these  machines  it  is  possible 
to  cut  over  500  miles  of  track  in  four  or  five  weeks,  and 
thus  handle  half  a  dozen  divisions. 

The  car  travels  at  a  rate  of  about  three  miles  per  hour 
and  mows  a  6-ft.  swath  on  both  sides  of  single-track  at 
once.  Either  cutter  bar  can  be  raised  or  lowered,  and 
tilted  up  or  down  at  any  angle,  to  follow  perfectly  the 
slope  of  the  grade.  The  cutter  bars  can  be  quickly  and 

285 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

easily  raised  high  for  clearing  obstructions,  when  the 
cycle  is  automatically  thrown  out  of  gear.  With  the 
cutter  bars  up  and  out  of  gear,  the  motor  car  will  make 
fifteen  miles  per  hour. 

The  engine  is  free-running,  and  may  be  started  with- 
out starting  the  car,  and  there  is  a  two-speed  transmis- 
sion that  develops  great  pulling  power  for  moving  the 
car  on  and  off  the  track  at  road  crossings.  The  whole 


Does  Better  Work  Than  Hand  Labor. 

machine  is  made  substantially,  with  the  same  service 
characteristics  that  have  distinguished  the  Fairmont 
Hand  Car  Engines,  which  are  built  by  the  same  firm,  the 
Fairmont  Gas  Engine  &  Railway  Motor  Car  Co.,  451 
N.  Main  St.,  Fairmont,  Minn. 


286 


TABLES 

TABLE  1. 

TEMPERATURE  EXPANSION  FOR  LAYING  RAILS.* 

The  allowance  that  should  be  made  for  expansion  for  33-ft. 
rails  is  shown  in  the  following  table. 

The  temperature  should  be  taken  on  the  rail,  and  the  open- 
ings between  the  rail  ends  should  be  as  follows: 
Temperature 
(Fahrenheit)  Allowance 

— 20°  to      0° <&  in. 

0°   to     25° }4  in. 

25°   to     50° 3r  in. 

50°  to     75° ft    in. 

75°  to  100° ^   in. 

Over  100  degrees  rails  should  be  laid  close  without  bumping. 

TABLE  2. 

MIDDLE  ORDINATES  IN  INCHES,  FOR  CURVING 

RAILS. 

Degree  Length  of  Rail, 

of  Curve  33  Ft.  30  Ft.  26  Ft.  20  Ft.  16  Ft. 

3°  i  34  y2  y4  # 

3°  30'  1  7/8  ft  ft  y4 

4°  1^1  34  x  *A 

4°  so'  154  i  H  l/2 

5°  ift         iy8          7/8          */2          y& 

5°  so'          ift  i%  i  y2  ft 

6°  134         ift         i  ft          ft 

6°  so'  1%  iy2  iys  34  ft 

7°  2  ift  iy4  34  y2 

7°  so'  2ys  IK  ift  y4  y2 

8°  2y4  i7/8  ift  ?/8  y2 

8°   30'  2^  2  V/2  ft 

9°  2y2  2y8  iys  i  ft 

.9°   30'  2^4  2*/4  iy4  1  ft 

10°  27/8  2ft  ift  iy8  y4 

11°  3^  2ft  i7/8  iy4  y4 

12°  3^  2y4  2ys  iy4  % 

13°  33/4  3X  2y4  Ift  7^ 

14°  4  3  2y2  iy2  i 

15°  4^  3^  2ft  \Y,  1 

16°  4^  3^  2%  Ift  Ift 

17°  4.7/s  4  3  154  IK 

18°  5^  4^4  3^  1%  1}^ 

19°  5M  4_y2  33/s  2  1J4 

20°  6  434  3^  2^  Ift 

*American  Railway  Engineering  Association. 

287 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 


TABLE  3. 

WIDENING   GAGE    ON    CURVES. 

From  The  Manual  of  the  A.  R.  E.  Association. 

Curves  eight  degrees  and  under  should  be  standard  gage. 
Gage  should  be  widened  one-eighth  inch  for  each  two  degrees 
or  fraction  thereof  over  eight  degrees,  to  a  maximum  of  4  ft. 
9^4  in.  for  tracks  of  standard  gage.  Gage,  including  widening 
due  to  wear,  should  never  exceed  4  ft.  9^  in. 

The  installation  of  frogs  upon  the  inside  of  curves  is  to  be 
avoided  wherever  practicable,  but  where  same  is  unavoidable, 
the  above  rule  should  be  modified  in  order  to  make  the  gage 
of  the  track  at  the  frog  standard. 

The  following  table  is  made  up  from  the  above  rule. 

Correct  Distance 


Degree 
Up  to  8  degrees 

8  degrees 

9  degrees 

10  degrees 

11  degrees 

12  degrees. 

13  degrees 

14  degrees 

15  degrees 

16  degrees 

17  degrees 

18  degrees 

19  degrees 

20  degrees 

20  degrees 

21  degrees 

22  degrees 
and  above 


Increase 
Gage  by 
0  in. 

^8  in. 


Correct 

Gage 
4  ft.  8y2  in. 

4  ft.  S5/s  in. 


4ft. 
4ft. 


in. 


Yam. 

5/s  in. 


4  ft.  9      in. 
4  ft.  9^  in. 


4  ft. 
4  ft. 


4ft. 


n. 


Between  Rail 
and  Guard  Rail 
124  in. 

1%  in. 
2      in. 


n. 


n. 


25/s  in. 


Y4  m. 


TABLE  4. 

SETS  OF  SWITCH  TIES  FOR  VARIOUS  TURNOUTS. 

Split  Switches. 

Frog  Space  in 

No.  Track 
14  140' 

12  120' 

10  100' 

8  75' 

7  70' 

6  60' 

5  50' 

288 


No.  of  Tie  of  Each  Length 

Total 

15 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

Number 

2 

12 

10 

14 

12 

10 

8 

6 

74 

1 

0 

13 

11 

9 

6 

7 

7 

54 

2 

9 

14 

8 

7 

7 

4 

4 

55 

2 

9 

10 

9 

6 

6 

5 

2 

49 

2 

9 

8 

6 

6 

5 

4 

2 

42 

2 

8 

7 

5 

4 

3 

4 

2 

35 

2 

6 

6 

3 

3 

2 

4 

2 

28 

TABLES 


£.  00   05  O  O  ^H 


O  00  <O  CO  W  OS    •* 


. 
co  «3  co  ea  «o  o 

rH  O  OJ  TO 


289 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

TABLE  7. 
ORDINATES  FOR  LINING  SWITCH  LEADS. 


jsui  <u  <D*J;:;Sn 

•S*  ±  t  *  e      a    'S       *     S 

£°  3  5  •§    s®|    ak'| 

<p^-  *OEJ  *S  o  ^        a>.s     "".25 

§^J  2tf  2  S  S 

•MO  'rg   <D  g)  ig  Cj 

.2  ^  03^3  <u  343J-.3^ 

Q^  piw  P  S  C?       UOOH 


in.  in.  in. 

7^4  3^  4 

6%  ^  3^ 

6%  5^  i^ 

534  1 4  34 


434     iy2     14 

Note — In  Columns  6  and  7,  ordinates  are  distances  measured 
to  gage  side  of  rail  from  a  string  stretched  from  toe  of  frog  to 
heel  of  switch  point. 


TABLE  8. 

NUMBER  OF  TIES  PER  MILE  WHEN  EXPRESSED   IN 
NUMBER  PER  100  FEET. 

No.  of  Ties              No.  of  Ties             No.  of  Ties  No.  of  Ties 

in  100  Ft.                in  1   Mile               in   100   Ft.  in   1   Mile 

40  2112                               53  2798 

41  2164                               54  2851 

42  2218                               55  2904 

43  2270                               56  2957 

44  2323                               57  3009 

45  2376                               58  3062 

46  2429                               59  3115 

47  2482                               60  3168 

48  2534                               61  3220 

49  2587                               62  3274 

50  2640                               63  3326 

51  2693                               64  3379 

52  2745                              65  3332 

290 


ft. 

in. 

in. 

5 

11° 

25' 

52 

6 

220.1 

26° 

33' 

934 

6 

9° 

32' 

58 

11 

317.9 

18° 

14' 

-7 

8° 

10' 

65 

1 

437.5 

13° 

12' 

834 

8 

7 

09' 

70 

11 

577.5 

9° 

58' 

8/4 

9 

6° 

22' 

76 

6 

738.2 

IJ»0 

48' 

734 

10 

5° 

44' 

81 

9 

924.0 

6° 

13' 

11 

5° 

12' 

87 

1 

1143.7 

5° 

01' 

6  34 

12 

4° 

46' 

92 

0 

1388.0 

4° 

08' 

6/2 

TABLES 

TABLE  9. 

ELEVATION  OF  OUTER  RAIL  IN  INCHES.* 

M-I  CM 

°    «|  °    <U 

Velocity  in  Miles  per  Hour.  «  £ 

S^  10     15     20     25     30     35     40     45     50     55     60     65     70       £?u 

Q  Q 

10      y8   y4   it   M   34  iy8  i&  W*  2  2^  23/4  3^4      i 
2    y&  H  y*  n  I*A  in  zy%  ^/8  ^A  4  434  *>y2  v/2     2 

3  Y4  Y2  34  114  13/4  23^  3^  4       4^     6     7J*   83^   9^  3 

4  J4  &  1  1^  2H  354  4J4   534   6^     8     9^ 4 

5  H  M  VA  2  3  4  5^   6^  8^ 5 

6  3/8  1  1^  2^  3^  4^  6^   8        6 

7  #  1^  IH  27/s  4^  55/^  73/^ 7 

S  H  1J4  2^  3^  434  6^  83^ 8 

9  5/s  1M  2*/8  334  53/6  7*/4 9 

10  34   v/2  25/s  ±y8   57/8   8Y8 10 

11  34    134    27/8    4*/2    V/2    87/8 11 

12  7/8    17/S    sy8    47/s    7Ys 12 

13  7/s  2       33^   53^  734 13 

14  1       2^   35/s  534   83/6 14 

15  1       254   37/8   Qi/4   87/8 15 

16    \y%  %y2  ±y4  &$/% ie 

17      1542^4^7        17 

is     ij4  234  434  iy2 is 

19       13^   27/8   5       734 19 

20    13^3     5^4  sy8 20 

In  all  cases  gage  is  considered  4  ft.  8J^  in. 

Since  the  elevation  required  is  a  function  of  and  depends  upon 
the  train  speed,  this  speed  is  the  first  element  to  be  determined. 

In  general,  as  a  matter  of  safety,  the  preference  should  be 
given  to  fast  passenger  traffic. 

Ordinarily  an  elevation  of  8  in.  should  not  be  exceeded.  Speed 
of  trains  should  be  regulated  to  conform  to  the  maximum  eleva- 
tion used. 

The  elevation  of  curves  should  be  zero  at  the  point  of  spiral 
and  should  increase  to  full  elevation  at  the  end  of  the  spiral  or 
beginning  of  the  simple  curve. 

The  inner  rail  should  be  maintained  at  grade. 


*American  Railway  Engineering  Association. 

291 


PRACTICAL  TRACK  MAINTENANCE 


TABLE  10. 

SPACING  OF  CROSSTIES   (BROKEN  JOINTS). 


j.^vsi»v>  jv/ini,     kivo     cioociiii 

Length      Spacing  Spacing 
of  Rail        12  ties      14  ties 

V^VJ.       l,\J       U/\^       U      111.      JLJIVJ111 

Spacing        Spacing 
16  ties            18  ties 

V-lH-l      \JL      1C 

Spacing 
20  ties 

Spacing 
22  ties 

or  Panel    per 
ft.              ft. 

rail    per  rail 
in.        ft.  in. 

per  rail         per  rail 
ft.     in.          ft.    in. 

per  rail 
ft.    in. 

per  rail 
ft.    in. 

30 

2     3 

1   11              1     8J4 

1     6 

31 

2     4 

20              19 

1     634 

32 

2     5 

21              1     934 

1     7^ 

1     $l/2 

33 

2     6 

2     134          1   10^ 

1     8 

1     6 

TABLE  11. 

DIMENSIONS  OF  RAILS. 

Type 

Weight  per 

Yd.     Height              Base 

Head 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

100 

534 

534 

23/4 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

90 

534 

534 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

85 

2l/2 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

80 

5 

5 

%!/ 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

72 

434 

434 

23% 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

70 

45/6 

45^ 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

65 

4^5 

23/6 

A.  S.  C.  E. 

60 

4^4 

4/4 

23/6 

A.  R.  A.-A 

100 

6 

51/2 

234 

A.  R.  A.-A 

90 

55/g 

5% 

A.  R.  A.-A 

80 

5% 

45/6 

zy 

A.  R.  A.-A 

70 

434 

2% 

A.  R.  A.-A 

60 

4 

A.  R.  A.-B 

100 

554 

25/6 

A.  R.  A.-B 

90 

434 

M  SO 

A.  R.  A.-B 

80 

4% 

2*/ 

A.  R.  A.-B 

70 

4  i 

23/1 

A.  R.  A.-B 

60 

41/! 

35% 

*"'  /  O 

21% 

TABLE  12. 

CUBIC  YARDS  OF  BALLAST  REQUIRED  FOR  VARIOUS 
DEPTHS  BELOW  TOP   OF  TIE 


Top  Width 

Single 
Track 

Cubic  Yds.  per  100  Ft. 

Cubic  Yds.  per  Mile 

Depth  Below  Top  of  Tie 
9  in.     12  in.    15  in.    18  in. 

Depth  Below  Top  of  Tie 
9  in.  12  in.  15  in.  13  in. 

10 
11 
12 
Double 
Track 
22 
23 
24 

22^4      33^        44^        56^ 
25           36%       49^6       61% 
2734      40^        5334       67M 

48           70           96^     1153/6 
5034       73^     10034     120% 
5234       77         104         124^6 

1177  1739  2370  2980 
1342  1947  2600  3270 
1468  2143  2840  3650 

2540  3700  5080  6100 
2680  3900  5320  6390 
2780  4060  5490  6550 

292 


TABLES 


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293 


INDEX 


Abernathy  cattle  guard —  262 

Accounts   '- 143 

Advantages  and  disadvantages  of  different  kinds  of  reports..  144 

Advertisements    311-319 

Adzers,  back 105 

Adzers,   head    105 

Adzes    240 

Adzing  and  boring  ties 73 

Adzing   rail   seats 207 

Agencies,   exclusive   labor 18 

Agencies,    private   labor 18 

Air  unloaders   or   rail   derricks 90 

Anchors,   rail 109,   170,  194 

Angle    bars,    distributing 95 

Appointing    outsiders    29 

Apprentice  systems  51 

Approaches,  bridge  234 

Approaches,   road-crossing  189 

April  and  May  work  in  the  tropics 214 

Assistance  in  making  out  reports 144 

Assistant    foreman 133 

Assistant  foremen,  foreigners  as 16 

Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa   Fe  foremen's  reports 156 

August  work  in  the  tropics 215 

Austrian  laborers  '. 62 

Automatic    Switch    Stands 281 

B 

Back  adzers  : 105 

Back    spike    puller 105 

Bad  ties 235 

Ballast  cars,  type 126 

Ballast  handling  equipment 128 

Ballast,  scanty 235 

Ballasting  and   surfacing 119 

Ballasting,  direction  to  carry  on  work 129 

Ballasting,    stone,    dough's    method 138 

Ballasting,   stone,   another   method 141 

Ballast,    unloading   127 

Baltimore  &  Ohio,  developing  foremen 54 

Baltimore  &  Ohio  foreman  reports 157 

Baltimore  &  Ohio,  housing  laborers 25 

Baltimore  &  Ohio  labor  bureau 18 

294 


INDEX 


Baltimore  &  Ohio,  leading  laborers 30,     54 

Baltimore  &  Ohio,  use  of  spreader  for  taking  down  shoul- 
ders      124 

Barking  ties 72,  207 

Barrett  Track  Jacks 270 

Benders,  rail 118 

Bills,  board 27 

Board    bills 27 

Boards,  jack 131 

Bolts  and  spikes 171 

Bolts  and   spikes,   renewing 206 

B olts,    distributing  96 

Bonus  for  track  foremen 50 

Boring  and  adzing  ties 73 

Boston  &  Albany  foreman  reports 157 

Boston  &  Albany,  obtaining  laborers 52 

Boston  &  Albany,    housing    laborers 24 

Boxes,  tool  243 

Bracket,    spot   board 130 

B  ridge  approaches 234 

Broken  rails  or  fastenings 199 

Bucking  snow  209 

Bucking   snow,   experienced   foreman 210 

Buildings,  snow  and  ice  around 201 

Bulgarian  laborers  63 

Bureau,  company  labor 18 

Burning  right  of  way 185 

Burning    ties    37 

C 

Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  methods  of  obtaining  laborers.—  20 

Canted    rails    199 

Canted    rails,    straightening 207 

Careful  maintenance,   need   for 40 

Care   of  handcars 247 

Care  in  operating  motor  cars 249 

Care  of  tools 238 

Car  plows  128 

Cars,  hand  245 

Cars,   motor   32,  49,  248 

Cars,  type  of  ballast 126 

Cattle  guards,  Abernathy 263 

Causes  of  trouble  with  motor  cars 255 

Cells,  dry  252 

Center    dump    cars 126 

Centers,    tamping   134 

Characteristics  of  a   good  foreman 28 

Checking  up   tools 167 

Chemicals  and  weed  burners 184 

295 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 


Chicago  &  Alton  foremen  reports .% 155 

Chicago  &  North  Western  reports 147 

Chicago  &  North  Western,  methods  of  obtaining  laborers..     22 

Chicago  Great  Western,  housing  laborers 26 

Chicago  Great  Western,  methods  of  obtaining  laborers 21 

Chicago    Milwaukee    &    St.    Paul,    methods    of    obtaining 

laborers    21 

Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  reports 148 

Chicago  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  foremen  reports 154 

Chisels,  track  240 

Churning  joints  235 

Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &  Dayton  foreman  reports 158 

Cinders  208 

Clay  cuts  171 

Cleaning  up,  general 169,  180 

Cleaning  up  rubbish 208 

Cleaning  waterways  168 

Clearing  the  main  line 202 

Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  foreman  reports  160 

dough's  method  of  stone  ballasting 138 

Cold  weather,  starting  motor  cars  in 254 

Company  labor  bureau 18 

Connection,  temporary  108 

Contact  with  foreman  and  men,  personal 47 

Correct  distribution  of  ties 76 

Cost  of  renewing  ties 85 

Cranes  used  for  laying  rail 114 

Crossings,  highway  172,  186,  234 

Crossings,  railway  grade 185 

Crossings,  road,  repairing 189 

Culverts  191 

Curves  and  bridge  approaches 234 

Cutting  rails  115 

Cutting  track  weeds 184 

Curves,    lining 136 

Curving    rails 117 

Cuts,    clay 171 

Cuts,  rock 170 

D 

Daily  distribution  reports 157 

Daily  material  reports,  Delaware  &  Hudson 161 

Daily  time  reports 155,  157 

Day's  work,  laying  out 232 

December  work  in  the  tropics 

Definite  possibility  of  promotion 45 

Delaware  &  Hudson  foreman  reports 160 

Delaware  &  Hudson  time  and  distribution  reports 159 

Derrick,  rail 90 

296 


INDEX 


Desirable  work,  necessary  versus 39 

Detail,  inspection  of  ties  in 78 

Developing  men  for  foremen 42 

Developing  track  foremen „ „ 36 

Direction  to  relay  rails 101 

Dirt  track,  renewing  ties  in 84 

Disadvantages  of  various  kinds  of  reports 144 

Discing  Machine,   Fairmont 284 

Discipline    43 

Disposal   of   ties 87 

Distributing  angle  bars 95 

Distributing  for  yard  tie  renewals 221 

Distributing  nut  locks 98 

Distributing  ties 94 

Distributing  ties  and  rails 168,  207 

Distributing  track  bolts 96 

Distributing  track  material  accurately 89 

Distributing   track    spikes 98 

Distributing  track  ties 170 

Distribution  of  laborers 233 

Distribution,    simultaneous 99 

Ditcher,   Marion   Railroad 257 

Ditching    , 189,  206 

Ditching,  proper  and  improper  ways 204 

Dividing  the  gang 216 

Drainage    200 

Drain  pipes,  culverts,  etc 191 

Dressing  up   182 

Drill,  rail 241 

Drinking  water,  good 27 

Dry   cells 252 

Dump  boxes 190 

Dump    cars 126 

Duty,  number  of  hours  on 42 

E 

Kfficiency  of  foremen 40 

Embankment   strengthening 183 

Emergency  rails 194 

Equipment,   ballast   handling 128 

Equipment,  snow  bucking 209 

Erie  Railroad  foremen  reports 151 

Estimates    193 

Exclusive  labor  agencies 18 

Expansion  106,  173,  192,  199 

Expansion,  loose 106 

Expansion,  tight 106 

Extra  gang  foremen 167 

Extra  gang  supplies 167 

297 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 


Fairmont  Hand  Car  Engines  and  Motor  Cars 276 

Fairmont    Motor    Car   Discing    Machine 284 

Fairmont  Motor  Car  Mowing  Machine 285 

Fall  section  work  ; 187,  224 

Fall  yard  work , 187 

Fastenings,    broken 199 

February  work  in  the  tropics 213 

Fence,  patching  up 172 

Fences    186 

Fences,  portable  snow 194 

Fences,    repairing 195 

Fences,  right  of  way,  repairing  and  renewing 208 

Fences,   snow 201 

Fiddle,    tie 242 

Filling    centers 133 

Filling  ends  for  tampers 132 

Filling  in  for  jacks 131 

Filling  in  for  tampers 131 

Filling  motor  car  tanks : 251 

Fire    guards 179 

First  inspection 231 

Flagging 108 

Flangers,  preparing  for 202 

Flanger  signs 189 

Flanging  out  road  crossings  and   guard  rails 189 

Flat  cars,  unloading  rails  from 90 

Food  for  laborers 26 

Foreigners,  advent  as  trackmen 15 

Foreigners  as  assistant  foremen 16 

Foreman  and  assistant  foreman 133 

Foreman  and  men,  personal  contact  with 47 

Foreman,  characteristics  of  a  good 28 

Foreman,  experienced  for  bucking  snow 210 

Foreman,  new  on  a  section 230 

Foreman's  responsibilities 36 

Foreman's    title 43 

Foreman's  treatment  of  men 27 

Foremen,  developing  men  for 42 

Foremen,  developing  track 36 

Foremen,  efficiency  of 40 

Foremen,   extra   gang 167 

Foremen,  types  of 38 

Foremen's  nouses 43 

Forks    rail 241 

Free  transportation 31 

Frogs  and  guard  rails 169 

Frogs,    repairing ., 192 

Front  and  rear,  handcar 246 

298 


INDEX 


G 

Gaging  182,  207 

Gage,   hook 242 

Gage,  track , 241 

Gage,    wide 199 

Gage,  widening 118 

Gang,  dividing 216 

Gang  for  relaying,  size 110 

Gang,  stripping 125 

General  cleaning  up 169,  180 

General  methods  of  relaying 100 

General  notes  on   surfacing 137 

General  surfacing 180 

Good  drinking  water 27 

Good  food  for  laborers 26 

Good  foreman,  characteristics  of  a 28 

Good    tools : 237 

Grade  crossings,  railway 185 

Graded  rates  of  wages 33 

Grade,  dished  or  hollow  topped 122 

Grading  section  and  yard  jobs 46 

Grade,  preparation  of  old  grade  for  reballasting 124 

Gravel,  renewing  ties  in -. 83 

Grinding,    handcar    wheels 247 

Guard   rails 227 

Guard  rails  and  frogs 169 

Guards,    fire 179 

H 

Hack    saws 117 

Haddix  rail  handling  machine 114 

Hammer  man 132 

Hammer  men 104 

Hand  cars 245 

Hand    Car    Engines,    Fairmont 276 

Hand   cars,   care   of 247 

Handling  laborers  of  different  nationalities 56 

Head  adzers 105 

Hedge,    trimming 208 

Height  of  raise 137 

Hiding    tools 239 

Highway   crossings 172,    186,  234 

Hindu    laborers 68 

Hobo  laborers 56 

Holes,   snow 192 

Holding    laborers 22 

Hollow  topped  grade 122 

Hook    gage 242 

Hours  on  duty 42 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 


Houses,    foremen's 43 

Housing,    sanitary 24 

I 

Ice  around  buildings 201 

Ice  around  water  tanks 208 

Illinois  Central  foreman  reports .,... 148 

Illinois  Central,  housing  laborers 26 

Illinois  Central,  methods  of  obtaining  laborers 21 

Imperial  Pneumatic  Tie  Tamper 265 

Improvement,  rapid  section 230 

Increase  in  wages 14 

Index  294-310 

Ingersoll-Rand  Pneumatic  Tie  Tamper 265 

Inspecting  ties  for  renewals 77 

Inspection  231 

Inspection  after  a  storm 200 

Inspection  after  ties  are  removed 80 

Inspection  of  ties  in  detail 78 

Inspecting  motor  cars 251 

Inspectors,   tie 78 

Instruction    45 

Instruction  in  track  work 30 

Instructions  for  motor  car  operators 249 

Interlocking   and    switch    repairs 185 

Interpreters    16 

Italian  laborers  59 

J 

Jack    boards 131 

Jack  hole  diggers -. 130 

Jack  men 131 

Jacks,    Barrett 270 

Jacks,  filling  in  for 131 

Jack   tampers 131 

January  work  in  the  tropics 212 

Japanese    laborers 68 

Jointing    up    109 

Joints,    churning 235 

Joint  ties,  respacing 183 

July  and  August  work  in  the  tropics 215 

June  work  in  the   tropics 214 

K 

Keeping  motor  cars   clean 249 

Keeping  tools  in  repair 240 

Kind   of  reports 144 

Kinds  of  reports  in  common  use 145 

300 


INDEX 


Labor    13 

Labor    agencies,    exclusive 18 

Labor  agencies,  private 18 

Labor    bureau,    company 18 

Labor   saving   tools 32 

Labor-saving  tools  and  appliances 257 

Laborer,  leading 51 

Laborer,   status   of 17 

Laborers,  ability  to  secure 14 

Laborers,    Austrian 62 

Laborers,    Bulgarian 63 

Laborers,   foreman's  treatment  of 27 

Laborers,  Hindu 68 

Laborers,    hobo 56 

Laborers,  holding 22 

Laborer,    Italian 59 

Laborers,    Japanese 68 

Laborers,    Macedonian 63 

Laborers,  Mexican 66 

Laborers,     Negro 64 

Laborers,    obtaining 17,  20 

Laborers  of  different  nationalities,  handling 56 

Laborers,   opportunities    for 33 

Laborers,  Pole  and  Slav 61 

Laborers,  trackmen  skilled 16 

Laborers,  welfare  of 22 

Laborers,  why  not  available 41 

Ladder    tracks 217-222 

Laying  out  day's  work 232 

Laying  rail  with  locomotive  cranes 114 

Leading    laborer 51 

Lehigh  Valley,  relaying  rails 115 

Level    and    spotboards 240 

Level  board  man 131 

Liners,    rail 105 

Lining 181-193 

Lining   and    surfacing 171 

Lining    curves 136 

Lining  track 134 

Lining  track  up  grade 135 

Location  of  switches  in  yards 226 

Locomotive  cranes,  laying  rail  with 114 

Long  Island  Railroad,  permanent   employment 23 

Loose    expansion 106 

Loss  of  tools 243 

Low  places _ 188 

301 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 


M 

Macedonian  laborers 63 

Machine  for  handling  rail,  Haddix 114 

Machine  for  handling  rail,  Madden 113 

Madden  rail  handling  machines 113 

Main  line,  clearing 202 

Maintenance,  need  for  more  careful 40 

Maintenance,  standard  of 216 

Maintenance,  three  fundamental  operations 119 

Maintenance,  ultimate  object  of 13 

Maintenance,   yard 216 

March  work  in  the  tropics 213 

Marion    Railroad    Ditcher 257 

Marion  Steam  Shovel 273 

Marking  ties  for  renewal 80 

Material,  piling  up 195 

Materials,   full  use   of 239 

Mauls,  spike 241 

May  work  in  the  tropics 214 

Meetings,    periodical 46 

Method  1-A,  relaying Ill 

Method  2-A,  relaying 104 

Method  1-B,  relaying Ill 

Method  2-B,  relaying 110 

Method   3,   relaying 112 

Methods  of  relaying,  general 100 

Methods  of  renewing  switch  ties 179 

Methods  of  renewing  ties 82 

Mexican    laborers 66 

Minneapolis,  St.  Paul,  &  Sault  Ste.  Marie  foremen  reports..  154 

Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  foreman  reports 155 

Modifications  of  general  methods  of  relaying 102 

Monthly   distribution   reports 154-155 

Monthly  foreman   reports 146 

Motor  car  operation,   details 253 

Motor  cars 32,  49,  248-249 

Motor  Cars,  Fairmont 276 

Mowing  Machines,  Fairmont 

Mowing    right-of-way 183 

Mudholes  in  yards 219 

N 

Nashville,   Chattanooga  &  St.   Louis  foreman  reports 150 

Nationalities,  handling  laborers  of  different 56 

Neatness    238 

Necessary  versus  desirable  work 39 

Need   for   more   careful   maintenance 40 

Negro    laborers 64 

New  foreman  on  a  section , ,.„.  230 

302 


INDEX 


New  track,  preparation  of  subgrade 121 

New  York  Central  apprentice  system 53 

New  York  Central  foreman  reports 162 

New  York  Central,  obtaining  laborers 53 

Norfolk  &  Western  foreman  reports 156 

Northern  Pacific  foreman  reports 149 

November   work    in    tropics 215 

Nut  locks,  distributing 98 

O 

Obtaining    laborers 17 

Obtaining  laborers,  present  practice 20-52 

October  work  in  the  tropics 215 

Oiling    handcars 247 

Old  grade,  preparation  for  reballasting 124 

Operation,  details  of  motor  car 253 

Operations  in  relaying 99 

Opportunities   for   track  laborers 33 

Ordering  tools 239 

Organization  and  distribution  of  laborers 233 

Organization  for  surfacing. 129 

Organization  of  tampers 132 

Organization,  scheme  of  for  surfacing  gang 120 

Outfit  of  tools  for  section 244 

Outsiders,    appointing 29 

Outsiders,  hiring 50 

Overhauling  a  yard 217 

P 

Patching  up  fence 172 

Pennsylvania   Railroad   foreman   reports 163 

Pensions    32 

Periodical  meetings 46 

Permanent  work 23 

Personal  contact  with  foreman  and  men 47 

Piling  up   material 195 

Placing  rails 94 

Plow    cars 126 

Plows,  track  or  car 128 

Plugs,   spark 252 

Pneumatic  Tie  Tamper,  Imperial 265 

Pockets,  water 173 

Pole  and  Slav  laborers 61 

Portable  snow  fences 194 

Possibility   of  promotion 29-45 

Posts,    sign 172 

Preliminary  work  in  relaying 103 

Preparation  of  old  grade  for  reballasting „ 124 

Preparing  for  flangers .*. 202 

Present  practice  of  obtaining  laborers 52 

303 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 


Private  labor  agencies 18 

Promotion,  definite  possibility  of 45 

Promotion,  possibility  of 29 

Protecting  men  shoveling  snow 202 

Pullers,  spike 104 

Pulling  spikes  in  relaying 103 

Putting  in  ties 172 

R 

Rail  anchors 109,  170,  194 

Rail    benders 118,  241 

Rail    derrick 90 

Rail  derricks  or  air  unloaders 90 

Rail  drill 241 

Rail    forks 241 

Rail  gang 105 

Rail  handling  machine,  Haddix 114 

Rail  handling  machine,  Madden 113 

Rail  liners .' 105 

Rail    relaying 88 

Railroad  Ditcher,  Marion 257 

Rails  and  ties,  distributing 168 

Rails,    canted 199 

Rails,  curving 117 

Rails,  cutting 115 

Rails,  direction  to  relay 101 

Rails,    distributing , 207 

Rails,    emergency 194 

Rails  or  fastenings,  broken 199 

Rails,    placing.... 94 

Rails,   replacing 169 

Rails,  straightening  canted 207 

Rail,    switch 109 

Rail  tongs •. 241 

Rails,    unloading 89 

Rails,  unloading  from  flat  cars 90 

Rails,    unloading,    V-frames 92 

Railway  grade  crossings 185 

Raise,   height  of 137 

Raiser,  the  track 133 

Ramapp  Automatic  Safety  Switch  Stand 281 

Rapid  improvement  of  a  section 227 

Rates   of  wages,   graded 33 

Rear,    handcar 246 

Reballasting,  preparation  of  old  grade  for 124 

Recent  changes  in  foreman's  reports 145 

Records  in  surfacing 136 

Records   in  tie   renewals 86 

Records  of  service 45 

304 


INDEX 


Recreation,  using  motor  cars  for 252 

Regaging  192 

Relaying,  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  general  methods  101 

Relaying,  general  methods 100 

Relaying  in   winter 88 

Relaying,  methods 110,  111,  112,  113,  114 

Relaying,  modifications  of  general  methods 102 

Relaying,  operations  in 99 

Relaying,  preliminary  work 103 

Relaying  without  slot  spiking „     88 

Renewals,  inspecting  ties  for 77 

Renewals,  side  track 193 

Renewals,  tie,   in   yards _ _ _ 220 

Renewals,  ties,  where  to  start 81 

Renewing  bolts  and  spikes 206 

Renewing   right-of-way   fences 208 

Renewing   ties 72 

Renewing  ties,  cost  of 86 

Renewing  ties  in  dirt  track 84 

Renewing  ties  in   gravel 83 

Renewing  ties  in  stone  ballast 84 

Renewing    ties,   methods 82 

Renewing  switch  ties,  methods 179 

Renewing  ties  to  face 74 

Repairing  fences 195 

Repairing  road  crossings  and  approaches 189 

Repairing   right-of-way    fences 208 

Repairing  switches,  frogs,  etc 192 

Repairing  tools 240 

Repairs  and  renewals,  side  track 193 

Reports  and  accounts 143 

Reports  for  foremen,   recent  changes 145 

Reports,  kinds  in  common  use 145 

Reports,  kind  of 144 

Respacing  joint  ties 183 

Responsibilities  of  the  foreman 36 

Right-of-way,    burning   185 

Right-of-way  fences,  repairing  and  renewing 208 

Right-of-way,    mowing 183 

Riprap    195 

Road   crossings   and  approaches,   repairing 189 

Rock    cuts 170 

Rock  Island,  apprentice  system 53 

Routine   spring  track  work 165 

Rubbish,  cleaning  up 208 

S 

Safety  Switch  Stands 281 

Sags  in  surfacing 127 

Sanitary   housing   24 

305 


PRACTICAL     TRACK     MAINTENANCE 


Sawed    ties 74 

Saws,    hack 117 

Scanty    ballast 235 

School   gangs 49 

School  gang,  Union   Pacific 30 

Scrap  170 

Scrap  bins  for  yards 224 

Scrap  in  yards 219 

Section  and  yard  jobs,  grading 46 

Semi-monthly  distribution  reports 154 

Semi-monthly  time  reports 154-156 

Separation  of  subgrade  on  new  track 121 

September  work  in  the  tropics 215 

Service   records 45 

Shimming    169-204 

Shovel,   Marion   Steam 273 

Side  dump  car 126 

Side  track  repairs  and  renewals 193 

Sign  posts 172 

Signs,    flanger 189 

Simultaneous    distribution 99 

Size  of  gang  for  relaying 110 

Skids  91 

Skids   for  unloading   rail 91 

Skirmishing    178-231 

Slav    laborers 61 

Slides  and  water  pockets 173 

Snow  and  ice  around  buildings 201 

Snow    box 206 

Snow,  bucking ., 209 

Snow  bucking  equipment 209 

Snow  fences 201 

Snow   fences,    portable 194 

Snow  holes 192 

Soft    spots 171-191 

Southern  Pacific  foreman  reports 156 

Southern  Pacific  time  report 152-153 

Southern  Railway  foreman  reports 149 

Spark    plugs 252 

Spike    mauls 241 

Spike  puller,  back 105 

Spike    pullers 104 

Spikers  106 

Spikes    and    bolts 171 

Spikes,    distributing 98 

Spikes,  pulling  in   relaying 103 

Spikes,     renewing 206 

Spikes,  whipping 107 

Spiking 1 07 

306 


INDEX 


Spiking  and  gaging 233 

Spotboard    bracket 130 

Spotboard   man 130 

Spotboards    240 

Spreaders,  ballast 128 

Spring  section  work _.  164 

Spring   yard    work 218 

Standard   of   Maintenance 216 

Starting  motor  cars  in  cold  weather 254 

Status  of  the  laborer 17 

Steam   Shovel,   Marion 273 

Stone  ballasting,  another  method  of 141 

Stone  ballasting,  Clough's  method 138 

Stone  ballast,  renewing  ties  in 84 

Storm,   inspection    after 200 

Straightening  canted  rails 207 

Strap  hangers 106 

Strengthening    embankment 183 

String  for  lining  curves 136 

Stripping    gang 125 

Study    car 50 

Subgrade,  compacting  when  built 123 

Subgrade  on  new  track,  preparation 121 

Summer    section   work 176 

Summer  yard  work 223 

Supervision  in  relaying 108 

Supplies,  extra  gang 167 

Supplies,    winter 194 

Surfacing   ,129-188 

Surfacing  and  ballasting 119 

Surfacing  and   lining 171-193 

Surfacing,  best  time  for  doing 136 

Surfacing,    general 180 

Surfacing,  general  notes  on 137 

Surfacing,    records 136 

Surfacing,  tools  for 142 

Swings   in   track 135 

Switches  169-203 

Switches,  frogs,  etc.,  repairing 192 

Switches,  keeping  switches  open 168 

Switch    rail 109 

Switch   repairs 185 

Switch    ties 178 

Switch  ties,  renewing 178 

T 

Tables  287-293 

Tamper,  Imperial  Pneumatic  Tie 265 

Tampers,  organization  of 132 

Tamping  centers 134 

307 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 


Tamping  tools 133 

Tanks,  filling  motor  cars 251 

Temporary    connection    108 

Tie    fiddle 242 

Tie   inspectors 78 

Tie  pole 242 

Tie  renewals  in  yards 220 

Tie  renewals,  records  in 86 

Tie  renewals,  where  to  start 81 

Ties  and  rails,  distributing 168,  207 

Ties,  adzing  and  boring 73 

Ties,  bad 235 

Ties,    barking 72,  207 

Ties,  burning 87 

Ties,  correct  distribution  of 76 

Ties,  cost  of  renewing 86 

Ties,  disposal  of 87 

Ties,  distributing 94,  170 

Ties,  distributing  for  yard  renewals 221 

Ties,  inspecting  for  renewals 77 

Ties,  inspection  after  being  removed 80 

Ties,  inspection   in   detail 78 

Ties,  methods  of  renewing 82 

Ties,  methods  of  renewing  switch 179 

Ties,  putting  in 172 

Ties,  renewing 72 

Ties,  renewing  in  dirt  track 84 

Ties,  renewing  in  gravel 83 

Ties,  renewing  in  stone  ballast 84 

Ties,  renewing  to  face 74 

Ties,    sawed 74 

Ties,  selling  or  trading ^ 87 

Ties,  switch,  renewing 178 

Ties,  uniform  sized , 82 

Tie  Tamper,  Imperial  Pneumatic 265 

Tie  Tongs,  Tranco-Duplex 271 

Tight    expansion 106 

Tight  track 82 

Time  to  do  surfacing 136 

Title,  foreman's 43 

Tongs,  Tie,  Tranco-Duplex .271 

Tool  boxes 243 

Tool  man 108 

Tools 49 

Tools  and  appliances,  labor-saving 257 

Tools    and   supplies,   winter 194 

Tools,  care  of 238 

Tools,   checking  up „ _ 167 

Tools,  extra 239 

308 


INDEX 


Tools  for  surfacing 142 

Tools  for  winter 225 

Tools,    good 237 

Tools,   hiding 239 

Tools,  keeping  in  repair 240 

Tools,    labor-saving 32 

Tools,   ordering 239 

Tools,    tamping 133 

Track    appliances 237 

Track  bolts,  distributing 96 

Track  chisels 240 

Track  foremen,  developing 36 

Track  foremen's  houses 43 

Track  gage 240 

Track  Jacks,  Barrett 270 

Track  lining 134 

Track  material,  distributing  accurately „ 89 

Track  materials,  tools  and  appliances 237 

Trackmen    skilled   laborers 16 

Track  Necessities  Co.  Tie  Tongs 271 

Track  plows 128 

Track  raiser 133 

Track  spikes,  distributing 98 

Track  structures,  strengthening 125 

Track,    tight 82 

Track  tools 237 

Track   weeds,   cutting 184 

Track  work  in  the  tropics 212 

Track  work,  routine  in   spring 165 

Tracks,    ladder    217 

Track  wrenches  1 243 

Tranco-Duplex  Tie  Tongs '. '..  271 

Transportation  48 

Treatment  of  men,  foreman's 27 

Trial  of  new  tools  or  appliances 237 

Trimming  hedge  208 

Tropics,  track  work  in 2-12 

Trouble  with  motor  cars 255 

Type  of  ballast  cars 126 

Types   of  track  foremen 38 

U 

Uniform  sized  ties 82 

Union  Pacific  Railroad  school  gang 30 

Unloading  ballast  127 

Unloading  rails  89 

Unloading  rails  from  flat  cars 90 

Upgrade,    lining    track _ 135 

809 


PRACTICAL    TRACK     MAINTENANCE 

V 
V-frames   for   unloading   rail 92 

W 

Wages,  average  raises 14 

Wages,    graded    rates 33,  51 

Wages,   increase   in 14 

Washouts,  slides  and  water  pockets 173 

Water,   drinking  27 

Water  tanks,  ice  around 208 

Waterways,    cleaning   168 

Weed    burners    184 

Weeding  182,  189 

Weeds,  track,  cutting _ 184 

Weekly    distribution    reports 156 

Weekly  time  reports 154,  157 

Welfare    of   laborers 22 

Wheels  binding,  handcar 246 

Whipping    spikes    107 

Wide   gage   199 

Widening   of   gage 118 

Winter,    relaying    rail    in . 88 

Winter   tools   225 

Winter  tools  and   supplies 194 

Winter  section  work 196 

Winter  work,  increasing  the  scope 196 

Winter   work,  keeping  track   open 197 

Winter  yard  work 226 

Workmen,   ability   to    secure 14 

Y 

Yard   and    section   jobs,    grading 46 

Yard  maintenance  216 

Yard,   overhauling 217 

Yard   tie   renewals 220 

Yards 205 

Year  around  work.... A 23 


310 


The  Trackman's  Chance 


What  has  been  done  for  the  trackman? 

Track  work  has  been  classed  as  unskilled  labor. 
It  will  always  be  so  classed  until  the  trackman,  him- 
self, changes  the  order  of  things. 

The  professional  man  has  his  instructive  library; 
for  the  guidance  of  the  engineer  there  are  volumes 
packed  with  technical  information  and  absolute  data; 
today  there  are  books  that  teach  even  the  grocer 
and  the  butcher  the  most  approved  modern  methods 
of  running  their  businesses  and  show  them  how  to 
double  their  earnings. 

What  is  there  for  the  trackman? 

Track  work  calls  for  unlimited  patience,  great  en- 
durance, good  judgment,  quick  thinking,  dexterity. 
It  /5  skilled  labor  and  the  RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL 
PRESS  is  trying  to  show  trackmen  a  way  in  which 
they  may  prove  this  to  the  world.  The  RAILWAY 
EDUCATIONAL  PRESS  is  emphasizing  the  impor- 
tance of  the  trackman's  work,  so  that  the  construc- 
tion and  maintenance  of  track  shall  be  given  the 
standing  rightfully  due  them — shall  be  elevated  to  the 
dignity  of  a  profession. 

Practical  Track  Work  and  PRACTICAL  TRACK 
MAINTENANCE  are  the  first  two  completed  vol- 
umes of  a  series  of  books  on  track  work. 

These  books,  the  ones  which  are  described  in  the 
following  pages,  and  others,  will  form  a  snug  little 
library,  and  they  will  tell  everything  there  is  to  tell 
on  the  great  and  important  subject  of  track  work. 

With  the  aid  of  this  library,  any  trackman  has  it 
in  his  power  to  become  an  expert  worker,  Expert 
workers  in  any  line  are  well  paid;  they  have  stand- 
ing; they  demand  recognition — and  they  get  it. 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS.  Inc. 

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311 


Practical  Track  Work 

Or*  How  to  Build  Track  and  Switches 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By  KENNETH  L.  VAN  AUKEN 

An  intensely  practical  and  interesting  book  on  methods  of 
doing  track  and  switch  work.  Written  from  fourteen  years' 
practical  experience. 

The  author  of  "PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK"  was,  himself, 
a  track  worker.  He  has  worked  ten  hours  a  day  in  all  kinds 
of  weather;  he  has  been  foreman  of  a  construction  gang  of 


foreigners— he  knows  the  trials  such  foremen  undergo.  He 
knows  the  hard,  driving  work  they  do,  often  unappreciated, 
always  underpaid.  He  knows  all  about  it  for  he  has  been 
there  himself. 

J.  W.  Powers,  Supervisor  of  Track  on  the  New  York  Cen- 
tral says:  "I  congratulate  you  most  heartily  on  being  the 
author  of  "PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK,"  a  book  devoid 
of  abstract  problems  and  useless  theories;  but  written  in  a 
plain,  common-sense,  and  masterly  manner  and  complete 
in  its  general  detail  of  practical  information." 

Every  man  who  wants  to  advance  and  who  wants  to  know 
how  to  construct  as  well  as  maintain  track,  will  find 
"PRACTICAL  TRACK  WORK"  indispensable. 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS.  Inc. 

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Chicago    :     :     :     :     :    Illinois 


312 


Simplified  Curve  and 
Switch  Work 

By  W.  F.  Rench,  Supervisor 
Pennsylvania  Railroad 

This  is  just  the  kind  of  a  book  you  would 
expect  from  Mr.  Rench,  who  is  a  practical, 
hard-headed  trackman,  and  who  has  been 
through  the  mill  of  practical  experience. 

The  trackman  who  has  this  book  can  cor- 
rect his  curves,  lay  out  easement  or  spiral 
curves,  can  lay  out  switches  or  industrial  spurs 
without  assistance  from  the  engineer. 

These  difficult  technical  subjects  are  sim- 
plified into  practical  form  for  the  everyday  use 
of  the  practical  track  man. 

Made  in  pocket  size  so  that  the  track  fore- 
man can  carry  it  with  him  whenever  it  is  nec- 
essary to  line  curves  or  lay  out  switches. 

On  the  press;  ready  for  distribution 
August  /,  79/6 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS*  Inc. 

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313 


Maintenance  Methods 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By  EARL  STIMSON 

Engineer  Maintenance  of  Way,  Baltimore  &  Ohio 
Railroad 

This  book  is  a  pioneer  in  its  field.  It  dis- 
cusses the  different  methods  of  organizing 
maintenance  work  and  gives  detailed  meth- 
ods for  getting  the  most  work  done  with  the 
least  amount  of  labor.  It  gives  the  track 
foreman  many  specific  instances  of  methods 
he  can  easily  apply  to  increase  the  work  of 
his  gang. 

Promotion  comes  to  the  track  man  who 
maintains  his  track  in  the  best  shape  at  the 
least  expense.  This  book  tells  the  track  man 
how  to  increase  his  ability  and  the  amount 
of  work  done  by  his  gang  so  that  he  may 
attract  the  favorable  attention  of  higher  offi- 
cials: 

A  twentieth  century  track  book,  giving 
the  very  latest  and  best  ideas  on  main- 
tenance methods. 

(Manuscript  under  preparation,  ready 
for    distribution   January    /,    1917.} 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS,  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

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314 


Winter  Track  Work 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By  E.  R.  LEWIS 

Assistant  to  General  Manager,  D.  S.  5.  6-  A.  Ry. 

A  thorough  and  practical  book,  tell- 
ing the  track  man  just  how  to  handle 
his  winter  work,  from  shimming  to  op- 
erating a  snow-bucking  train. 

E.  R.  Lewis,  the  author,  has  had  30 
years'  railroad  experience,  starting  in  at 
the  bottom  where  he  had  charge  of  a 
few  miles  of  track,  and  holding  various 
positions  up  to  his  present  position 
where  he  has  charge  of  track  main- 
tenance and  construction  on  the  entire 
system. 

The  book  lives  up  to  all  you  would 
expect  from  such  a  prominent,  prac- 
tical man. 

(Manuscript  under  preparation;  ready 
for   distribution    October    /,    1916) 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS*  Inc. 

Fourteen   East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :      :      :      :      :    Illinois 


315 


The  Autocrat  at  the  Lunch  Table 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By   BRUCE   U.    CRANDALL 

The  only  book  published  which  takes  up  the  rela- 
tion between  railway  supply  men,  and  railway  com- 
panies and  officials;  written  in  an  interesting  conver- 
sational style  and  containing  much  information  useful 
to  both  railway  and  supply  man. 


P.  L.  Maury,  sales  manager  of  The  Sherwin-Wil- 
liams Company,  says:  "I  received  the  copy  of  The 
Autocrat  at  the  Lunch  Table  and  have  enjoyed  it  so 
much  and  found  it  so  good  that  I  am  having  our 
purchasing  agent  send  you  an  order  for  twelve  copies. 
I  would  like  to  have  this  order  cover  the  one  copy 
which  you  sent  me,  leaving  a  balance  of  eleven  copies, 
which  I  wish  you  would  send  to  me  also  as  soon  as 
possible.  I  desire  these  for  our  railway  representa- 
tives, for  I  think  that  your  book  contains  a  lot  of  good 
common  horse  sense  that  all  of  us  can  read  and 
thereby  profit  from." 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS.  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :     :     :     :     :    Illinois 


316 


THE  TRACK  PRIMER 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By  CHARLES  L.  UAN  AUKEN 

Written  for  the  benefit  of  the  track 
laborer,  assistant  foreman  and  foreman;  a 
carefully  detailed  description  of  how  to  do 
all  the  little  jobs  in  track  maintenance. 

This  book  is  written  in  exceptionally  sim- 
ple English,  so  that  it  can  be  understood  by 
a  green  track  laborer  or  by  any  foreign 
laborer  who  understands  the  English  lan- 
guage. 

Questions  are  given  at  the  end  of  each 
chapter  for  the  reader  to  answer  and  the 
book  is  in  every  way  equal  to  a  correspond- 
ence course — at  one-twentieth  the  price. 

(Manuscript  under  preparation.  Vol- 
ume 1  will  be  read}}  for  distribution 
October  I,  1916.  Volume  2  will  be 
ready  for  distribution  January  /,  1917) 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS,  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

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317 


Inspecting  Track  and 
Roadway 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By   STEPHEN   J.    EVANS 

Good  track  inspection,  like  good 
track  drainage,  is  the  foundation  of 
good  maintenance.  Further,  it  is  the 
basis  of  safety. 

For  these  reasons  this  volume  on  in- 
spection, written  by  a  man  who  has  had 
experience  as  track  laborer,  foreman, 
general  track  foreman  and  roadmaster, 
will  be  in  demand  with  every  live  track- 
man. 

A  trackman  must  know  everything 
contained  in  this  volume  if  he  expects 
to  maintain  his  track  in  high  class  shape 
and  to  merit  promotion. 

(Manuscript  under  preparation;  ready 
for  distribution  November  /,  1916) 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS,  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

Chicago    :     :     :     :     :    Illinois 


318 


ROADBED  AND  TRACK 
DRAINAGE 

(Price  $1.60  Postpaid) 
By   KENNETH   L.   VAN  AUKEN 

The  basis  of  good  track  maintenance  is  a 
good  foundation;  and  a  good  foundation  is 
possible  only  with  good  drainage. 

ROADBED  AND  TRACK  DRAINAGE, 
therefore,  fills  a  long-felt  want.  It  discusses 
subgrade  conditions  and  gives  the  trackman 
information  from  which  he  can  determine 
whether  or  not  his  drainage  is  defective,  and 
then  gives  practical  methods  for  bettering  it. 

This  book  explains  why  track  frequently  is 
hard  to  maintain,  even  though  there  is  plenty 
of  ballast  and  no  apparent  reason  for  its  con- 
stant settling. 

There  is  nothing  of  greater  importance  in 
track  maintenance  than  track  drainage  and 
every  trackman  who  buys  this  thoroughly  prac- 
tical book  will  be  greatly  benefited  by  it. 

(Now  under  preparation;  read])  for  dis- 
tribution January  /,  1917) 

RAILWAY  EDUCATIONAL  PRESS.  Inc. 

Fourteen  East  Jackson  Boulevard 

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319 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


28  Iri'18* 


LD  21-95m-7,'37 


fd     lUOO 


342159 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


